New Google WiFi App Could Change the Way You Connect to Hotspots

Google has reportedly been working on an interesting new WiFi app that will aim to streamline login and authentication at thousands of WiFi hotspots. The app would automatically authenticate your iOS or Android device as soon as it is within range of the participating WiFi signal, thereby eliminating the hassle of having to log in manually every time you visit a Starbucks or other popular hotspot locations.

According to Engadget.com, the app is currently in the trial stages at Google's headquarters, so there is no guarantee that it will be officially released and no expected release date has been mentioned. However, given that Google has replaced AT&T as Starbucks' WiFi provider, and has set a projected timeline to complete that transition by 2015, it would make sense for them to launch the app at some point within the next 1-2 years.

If all goes as planned the new app could automatically connect users to more than 7,000 Starbucks locations as soon as their device is within range of the hotspot, which means no more terms & conditions boxes to check and no more sitting through annoying login pages. Google Play also recently made a deal with Boingo to bring free Google WiFi to more than 4,000 new locations in the US, so from the start there will be at least 11,000+ locations nationwide.

From a practical and technical standpoint the app would work by associating the user's Google account with a dedicated security certificate that would allow for the automatic authentication of the device as soon as a connection is available. In other words, as soon as you get within a few hundred feet of the the nearest participating WiFi hotspot, your smart phone, tablet, or laptop will be fully connected and internet-ready.

The introduction of the new app would work well to advance Google's apparent long-term goal of making easily accessible free Wi-Fi available everywhere. Back in 2006 the search engine giant launched Google WiFi - the first free city-wide WiFi network comprised of more than 500 hotspots strategically attached to streetlights throughout Mountain View, CA (the home of Google's headquarters). Google has also donated $600k to setup WiFi hotspots at more than 30 of San Francisco’s public parks during the next two years.

Furthermore, Google is currently discussing the possibility of deploying ultra high-speed fiber connections in more than 34 cities through the United States. Google has already installed three city-wide fiber connections in Austin, Texas; Provo, Utah; and Kansas City, Missouri. Fiber networks are known to provide connection speeds that are up to 100x faster than conventional WiFi hotspots.

Google's new WiFi app and the rest of the aforementioned developments are all part of an exciting new movement that could see free and convenient WiFi connections available in most places in the civilized world in the very near future. Combine this ubiquitous connectivity within the advent of the Google Glass headset and you can start to imagine the type of revolutionary technological shift that is set to unfold during this decade alone.