First Wave of Seattle HotSpots Launched By Leading Wi-Fi Provider
Monday, March 29 2004
Catalyst Connection/TEQ Telerama Wireless Corporation – a national provider of wireless Internet specializing in delivering Wi-Fi access to consumers at coffee shops – today announced the official launch of Telerama Wireless Wi-Fi service at 13 coffee shops throughout Seattle, with more to be activated soon. Telerama Wi-Fi is now available at all seven Caffe Ladro locations and other popular coffee shops such as CJ Eatery, Bean Collection, LaVaca, Gingko Tea and both Cherry Street venues. Telerama Wi-Fi gives users the freedom to surf the Internet on laptops, PDAs and other mobile wireless devices at broadband speeds unfettered by data lines. "I do quite a bit of work at one of my favorite coffee shops, Caffe Ladro," says Telerama Wi-Fi user Chuck Snavely, a freelance advertising and marketing copywriter. "Telerama Wi-Fi is always fast and reliable, enabling me to research online and send and receive emails with ease. It's added a great deal of flexibility to my work life." Telerama Wireless Corporation is the privately held subsidiary of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Telerama Internet. The third ISP in the world, Telerama Internet was founded in 1991 by its president, Doug Luce. Telerama is the undisputed leader in Wi-Fi in Pittsburgh, with over 70 active HotSpots in operation and over 100 under contract. The Company chose to open wireless operations and launch service in Seattle due to the city's pervasive café culture, large number of coffee shops and early adopters of technology. "Our goal is to give everyone in Seattle the ability to walk to their favorite coffee shop near home or work to get online without the hassle of plugging into a phone line," says Doug Luce, Founder and President of Telerama Wireless Corporation. "Wi-Fi is not just for traveling businesspeople. By making Telerama Wi-Fi readily available to the masses at locations convenient to them, we believe there is a huge opportunity for us and our HotSpot hosts in Seattle." The Seattle office of Telerama Wireless will initially employ six people. As the Company propagates its success in Pittsburgh to Seattle, it plans to add more technicians and other staff throughout 2004. Luce recently moved his family from Pittsburgh to Seattle to spearhead the launch and growth of the Company. One Telerama Wireless employee relocated from Pittsburgh to Seattle along with him. The Company is currently negotiating for office space and is in the process of hiring a Wireless Installer and Software Engineer. Telerama Wireless Wi-Fi – A Unique Model Telerama Wireless' HotSpot host and user model is unique. The Company offers its HotSpots incentives such as revenue sharing, bounties for new user signups, free business class DSL service, free customizable advertisements on a splash landing page and marketing support "We added WiFi service to our seven Caffe Ladro locations throughout Seattle to better serve our customers," says Bob Ohly, Vice President, JPK Corporation, which owns and operates the Caffe Ladro chain. "We have been very happy with the service and support from Telerama WiFi and consider this a valuable addition to our business." In addition, while most Wi-Fi service providers cater to traveling business users at airports and hotels, Telerama Wireless is bringing Wi-Fi to neighborhood, campus, and downtown locations so that business and more casual users can stroll to their favorite coffee shop and get online. And, Telerama Wireless' flexible daily or month-to-month Wi-Fi service plans are devoid of burdensome long-term contracts and setup fees. Bundled Wi-Fi deals that include dialup or DSL connectivity are also available. Telerama Wireless Wi-Fi User Plans · $.40 per minute Wi-Fi plan. Charges automatically cap at $4.95 single-day Wi-Fi rate after user exceeds $4.80 in per minute charges. · $4.95 day rate: 24-hours of unlimited surfing time at any Telerama HotSpot location. · $9.95 student monthly rate: unlimited wireless Internet access for all college students nonprofits and those with any type of existing Internet account through Telerama. · $29.95 basic plan: monthly service, including unlimited surf time, free dialup account, email, web space. · $29.95 DSL Addition plan: Available to monthly Wi-Fi plan subscribers, offers 608K/128K level Broadband service at home for only $29.95 more. Includes unlimited browsing and data transfer. Seattle Telerama Wireless HotSpot Locations - CJ's Eatery, 2619 1st Avenue - Cherry Street Coffee House – Belltown, 2121 First Avenue - Cherry Street Coffee House – Pioneer Square, 103 Cherry Street - Bean Collection, 1000 Madison Street - LaVaca, 4129 University Way NE - Gingko Tea, 4343 University Way Northeast Caffe Ladro locations (7): - Upper Queen Anne, 2205 Queen Anne Avenue N - Lower Queen Anne, 600 Queen Anne Avenue N - West Seattle, 7011 California Avenue SW - Fremont, 452 N 36th Street - Pine Street (Downtown), 801 Pine Street - Capitol Hill, 435 15th Avenue E - Union Street (Downtown), 108 Union Street Executive Bio Doug Luce is Founder and President of Telerama Wireless Corporation, a national provider of affordable and accessible wireless Internet to consumers at coffee shops and businesses with an office in Seattle, Washington. Luce also founded Telerama Internet, an Internet Service and Wireless HotSpot Provider headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Luce has over 15 years of experience in the fields of Internet services, technical consulting and software engineering. The third ISP in the world, Luce launched Telerama in 1991 while a student at Carnegie Mellon University. Since the formation of Telerama, Luce has advised numerous technology startups and venture teams on both the technology and market sides of the business equation. Every year he serves as the IT Services Chair for SCinet, the International Conference for High Performance Computing and Communications. He is a frequent speaker at Wi- Fi industry events. Luce holds a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Carnegie Mellon University. He is married and the father of two young children. About Telerama Wireless Corporation Telerama Wireless Corporation is a privately held national provider of affordable and accessible wireless Internet, or Wi-Fi ("Wireless Fidelity"), service to consumers at coffee shops and businesses. Telerama Internet, founded in 1991 as the world's third Internet Service Provider (ISP), launched the company in November 2003. While most Wi-Fi service providers are targeting traveling business users at airports and hotels, Telerama Wireless is committed to bringing Wi-Fi to neighborhood, campus, and downtown locations so that business and more casual users can stroll to their favorite coffee shop and get online without plugging into a data line. The company operates over 100 HotSpots nationally in Seattle, Pittsburgh and other cities to be named soon, with more under contract. For a full list of Telerama Wi-Fi HotSpots visit http:// www.telerama.com. Telerama Wireless Corporation is headquartered in Pittsburgh, with an office in Seattle, Washington. The Company is located at 5001 Baum Boulevard, Suite 750, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, Telerama Wireless Corporation can be reached at (412) 682-0171, via email at sales@telerama.com or on the web at www.telerama.com. About Telerama Internet Founded in 1991 as the world's third ISP, the sole focus of Telerama Internet is to leverage the latest in technology - from T3, T1, Wireless Internet (Wi-Fi), DSL and Dialup - to connect people andbusinesses to the Internet. Backed by over 13 years of experience, Telerama Internet offers the speed, reliability, technical expertise and unparalleled customer support needed to anticipate and meet the evolving connectivity needs of individual and business users. Telerama Internet boasts over 8,000 users. Headquartered at 5001 Baum Boulevard, Suite 750, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, Telerama Internet can be reached at (412) 682-0171 or at www.telerama.com. http://www.catalystconnection.org/news/pressroom/detail.cfm?ID=2432 W4 K-Collecto http://w4.evectors.it/itEntDirectory/topic?topic=statistics
Media Contact:
Wendy Luce
press@telerama.com
412.682.0171 x515
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