SWINDON, UK, 6th August 2004 – The word on the street is ‘Wi-Fi’ and one-third of UK residents know what it means. According to research released today by Intel Corporation (UK) Ltd, 34 percent of UK adults know and understand the new term ‘Wi-Fi’ – which is short for wireless fidelity networks. At hotels, airports, coffee bars and other places enabled with Wi-Fi, people can tap into a wireless broadband internet connection using their notebook PC, giving them greater freedom to access information and entertainment while on the go.



Whilst the ‘Wi-Fi word’ is spreading rapidly, there are still some gaps in the UK’s knowledge – 4% of people surveyed believed ‘Wi-Fi’ to be cockney slang for ‘wife’, 3% were sure it was a place in Japan and 1% thought it might be an exotic fruit.



Interestingly, in the wireless-savvy South East, half of those surveyed (43%) understood the term ‘Wi-Fi’ – but in the North East this figure falls to 29%.



In the survey of over 1,000 people, one in five respondents correctly identified the word ‘hotspot’, a term thought to have been created little more than a year ago, to describe a public wireless internet access point.



Although a fifth of respondents linked the word ‘hotspot’ to Wi-Fi technology, almost one in ten (9%) believed a ‘hotspot’ to be the centre of a volcano. Over a third (35%) of people suggested it to be the best destination for your summer holidays - whilst 3% thought the term referred to a casserole from Lancashire!



Overall awareness of wireless technology was found to be highest among those aged between 25 and 34 where one in four (25%) understood the word ‘hotspot’, and almost half (45%) knew the meaning of the term ‘Wi-Fi’.



To aid this rapid growth in knowledge, Intel is launching a new guide from the popular ‘Dummies™’ series of books. ‘Wi-Fi For Dummies’ is available free of charge from today in all PC World and Dixons stores throughout the UK[1]. The 30 page guide simply explains how people can integrate Wi-Fi technology into their lives to give them more freedom and flexibility at work and at play. Topics covered include:



- How to install a Wi-Fi network

- Keeping your Wi-Fi network secure

- How to find and use a public hotspot



“Wireless enabled notebooks based on Intel® Centrino™ mobile technology can change the way you live and work, giving you freedom to access the internet on the move. The ‘Wi-Fi for Dummies’ guide walks you through simple steps to getting online wirelessly and even shows you how to set up your own home wireless network,” said Rick Skett, Intel UK and Ireland Country Manager. “Soon the expressions ‘Wi-Fi’ and ‘hotspot’ will become as commonplace in vocabulary as ‘texting’ or ‘email’ and hopefully people will now head to their local PC World or Dixons rather than the greengrocers or travel agent, when they want to find out more about Wi-Fi!”



Public hotspot infrastructure and usage has increased dramatically since Intel Centrino mobile technology was launched in March 2003. More than 130 notebook PC designs are now based on Intel Centrino mobile technology, which enables integrated wireless LAN capability, extended battery life, thinner and lighter designs and outstanding mobile performance2.



New figures from analyst house IDC forecast a rise in public hotspot usage from just under 75,000 people in 2003, to over 450,000 in 2004 – and by 2005 IDC forecasts that over 930,000 people will be accessing the internet wirelessly from public hotspots3.



According to IDC, the number of public hotspots available in the UK has also increased – from around 4,200 in 2003 to an estimated 7,800 in 2004 – and that’s excluding corporate, campus and home wireless access points3.