Fon gets $13m to continue free wifi giveaway

Free public wireless firm, FON, has received a further 10 million euro ($13.1 million) in funding from investors, the company announced today. The company did not disclose the names of new investors, but noted that existing investors include Google and Skype.

Rumors circulating in Europe's telecom industry have suggested that British Telecom (BT) may be one of the new investors.

FON claims to have 320,000 members and 120,000 WiFi access points in its network. Members who provide a free wifi access point and themselves gain free wifi access from other users in the Fon network. Paid wireless access is available for members who do not want to share their own connections.

"The funds, together with the insight and expertise of the investors, will help further FON's expansion," the company announced in a press release. "FON intends to focus on growing and offering more services and products to its Community members while continuing to increase its market penetration by reinforcing its presence through retail channels and partnership deals."

Fon has attempted to seed its network in some areas by giving away thousands of Fon-enabled wireless routers free of charge, or at nominal cost. Fon's founder, Argentine entreprenuer  Martin Varsavsky, is continuing to inject new capital into the organization, according to a blog posting on the Fon website.

FON is Awesome!

Glad to hear it. FON is awesome! Share the air!