Hotzone

A hotzone is a collection of joined locations or areas which give access to a network. Usually, the term hotzone refers to areas which give users wireless access to the Internet through Wi-Fi. A hotzone can be a campus or even an entire city. Within a hotzone there can be one or more hotspots. Access is not only provided at the hotspots but also at the locations in-between.

A hotzone is not only used to give access to the Internet, but also to provide other services like Voice over IP and location based services, e.g. tourist information like a virtual guide.

In a Wi-Fi hotzone, the end-user gets access to the Internet through Wi-Fi access points. A number of technologies can be used to connect the access points to the Internet, such as FWA systems like WiMAX, or wired alternatives like cable or ADSL.