Kyocera and Boingo Wireless unveil Wi-Fi/CDMA handset

Kyocera and Boingo Wireless are showing off their combined work at CTIA Wireless in Las Vegas. It is a prototype Kyocera BREW-based dual-mode Wi-Fi/CDMA handset with integrated Boingo public Wi-Fi roaming.

This phone is targeted at the strong and growing market for WLAN-enabled phones. The application suite of the phone can automatically choose whether the 3G network of Wi-Fi network is the best solution for a given time and circumstance. On a practical level, it means that high-bandwidth applications can be done over a Wi-Fi network instead of CDMA, leading to savings in cost. It also makes it easy to utilize a VoIP service on your standard phone when that option makes more sense. Wi-Fi can also provide better connectivity inside homes and offices where cellular service often suffers.

Boingo combines more than 30,000 Wi-Fi hotspots from more than 130 operators into one worldwide network, making it more practical for users who frequently travel to use a Wi-Fi network for their phone. The phone includes specially designed Boingo software to make access easy.