iPass Inc. has announced the most recent edition of the iPass Wi-Fi Hotspot Index. Hotspot usage by business users jumped 68% between the first half of 2007 and the second half of 2006, vs. 44% in the six months previous, and airports topped the list of venues where business travelers connect. These findings reinforce the attractiveness of Wi-Fi hotspots as a primary access option for workers on-the-go.

Based on data gathered from nearly two million sessions for the first half of 2007, the survey showed European growth outpacing the United States, with Europe expanding its worldwide share of hotspot use to 36 percent, up from 31% in the second half of 2006. London grew its lead as the world capital of Wi-Fi and now accounts for nearly four times the sessions of the runner-up city, New York. Other cities in the top 10 include: Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Singapore, San Francisco, Munich, San Jose and Los Angeles.

Additional global findings:

- The United States remained the leading Wi-Fi country, accounting for 56% of global Wi-Fi usage.
- Usage “Down Under” skyrocketed, with Australian usage growing by more than 700%—as the country moved up to eighth place worldwide.
- Sessions in China jumped 164%, placing them among the top 20 of all countries for the first time.

The index also revealed that business people are connecting over Wi-Fi for longer periods of time; average daily usage grew 25% to 87 minutes, up from 70 minutes in the second half of 2006. While users in the United States recorded an average online time of 90 minutes, users in China and South Korea stayed connected for twice as long, averaging more than three hours online a day.

“These results indicate that business demand for Wi-Fi hotspots has grown from a novelty to a mainstream need,” said Joel Wachtler, vice president of marketing and strategy, iPass. “We are also seeing that use of hotspots is a global phenomenon, with the standard for growth being set in European and Asian countries.”

Wi-Fi has become especially useful for workers looking to make the most of downtime at airports and hotels, which combined, accounted for more than five out of every six sessions globally. Airports led usage with 56% of sessions overall. However, hotels are closing the gap, with a 123% increase, accounting for 30% of overall sessions.

The top five airports include:

1. O’Hare International Airport, Chicago
2. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport
3. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
4. San Francisco International Airport
5. Heathrow Airport, London

The top 5 hotels include:

1. World Center Marriott, Orlando, US
2. The Airport Sun Intercontinental, Johannesburg, South Africa
3. Holiday Inn Eindhoven, Netherlands
4. San Francisco Marriott, US
5. Chang Gung Hotel, Taiyuan, Taiwan

The iPass Wi-Fi Hotspot Index summarizes session data collected by iPass across its base of users at more than 3,500 companies around the world.