Microsoft sponsors free Wi-Fi in New York and San Francisco

Tourists visiting New York and San Francisco during the holiday season will be able to enjoy free Wi-Fi as Microsoft and Boingo have teamed up to offer free internet access. Locations include 200 hotspots in New York, plus six subway stations in Manhattan and iconic locations in San Francisco such as Fisherman's Wharf, UN Plaza, Union Square and Nob Hill. The offering has already begun in San Francisco and the Manhattan subway stations (supported by Transit Wireless) and is coming to the other New York hotspots on November 1. The Wi-Fi willl be available through the end of the year. The Wi-Fi sponsorship is part of Microsoft's promotional plan for Windows 8 and the new Windows Store app, accessible, of course, through the free Wi-Fi spots. In September, Boingo teamed up with Google to offer free Wi-Fi at 4,000 hotspots across the US, including 15 airports as well as a number of hotels, shopping centers and the same six subway stations in Manhattan. The free service was available throughout September. Early this summer, Virgin Media launched free Wi-Fi in some London underground stations as part of its plan to provide Wi-Fi service for the city's transport network.