Internet hot spot service provider Fon said on Tuesday that consumers with a wireless Windows 10 device can now purchase a pass to access its network of Wi-Fi hot spots using their Windows Store credentials. This is ideal for customers who aren’t subscribers to the “Fon Community” service but need an internet connection on their Windows 10 device outside the home from time to time.
To get a pass to Fon’s network, Windows 10 users simply load up the list of available Wi-Fi hotspots by selecting the Network icon residing next to the system clock on the Windows taskbar. One of the hot spots showing up on the list should have the “Fon” name. Click on the access point and Microsoft’s built-in Paid Wi-Fi & Cellular app will load up and list all the pre-paid plans made available through the Windows Store.
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The big selling point with this new feature is that Windows 10 device owners can purchase a pre-paid hot spot plan with just a simple click. Of course, if customers haven’t previously provided a payment method for the Windows Store, they will be required to make this extra step before grabbing a pre-paid plan from Fon.
“Each plan is valid only in the country where you bought it for the device you bought it on,” Microsoft states. “If you go somewhere else in the same country where you bought a plan and another participating hot spot is in range, you’ll be connected automatically to that hot spot as long as you have time left on your plan. Note that the number of participating hot spots varies by country/region.”
Currently, Fon provides four pre-paid plans for accessing its hot spots: 60 minutes, 24 hours, five days, and thirty days. When customers purchase the 60-minute plan, those minutes can be spread out for up to one year after the original purchase. All other plans essentially roll over, meaning if customers purchase a 24-hour plan one month and another plan the second month, the unused time from the previous plan is applied to the current plan.
Based on a map provided by Fon, its “global” Wi-Fi network doesn’t appear to be offered in the United States. The listed countries consist of the following:
- Australia
- Belgium
- Brazil
- Croatia
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Italy
- Japan
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- South Africa
- Spain
- U.K.
News of Fon’s agreement with Microsoft arrives after the networking company expanded its footprint by teaming up with mobile carriers to provide premium Wi-Fi locations on a wider scale. The company’s service can now be accessed in 50 airports scattered across Europe alone, along with numerous access points established in the countries listed above. Fon set out to create a global access point with a constant user experience across all territories.
Fon powers more than 20 million Wi-Fi hot spots worldwide, the company said on Tuesday.
