Google Wi-Fi Passport launches in Indonesia, offers cheap Internet access

Google has rolled out a service in Indonesian capital Jakata, which allows users to hop on Wi-Fi hotspots for free or at affordable rates. The service, called Wi-Fi Passport, is exclusively for Android users via an app.

"It's way quicker than congested 3G connections, and there's no need to keep entering passwords or re-registering on hard-to-use Web sites either," said Google on its site. Users are allowed usage of up to 3GB of data in a single day, or 7GB over seven days, and 10GB over 30 days.

Currently voucher codes that allow free usage for the first 10 days are available at promotional events. Otherwise, the service costs 20,000 rupiah (US$1.86) for 20 days or 50,000 rupiah (US$4.65) for 50 days via Google's partner MOGPlay.

As part of Google's push to get "the next billion" online and using its services, various initiatives it's launched so far include Free Zone which debuted in the Philippines, which allows Web access on featurephones for free as long as they visit the site via Google Search. It also launched the service in India via a tie-up with telco Airtel.

In June, the Web giant kicked off Project Loon, where a string of networked balloons helped deliver broadband signals to people living in rural and remote areas.

Tattoo leads tablet revolution

Now that you have the whole world at your fingertips, there has never been a better time to spark a revolution.

Tattoo welcomes us to the tablet age with the most affordable bundle plans for tablet devices. With the Tattoo Tablet Bundles, get three free devices in one amped-up plan harnessing high-speed mobility and connectivity all in one super-power bundle. More than that, Tattoo also allows you to maximize the features of your tablets by offering ultra-fast Internet speed. of 7.2 Mbps giving everyone a great tablet experience both for personal and business use.

Offering the synergy of unlimited Internet browsing and mobile text and calls is Tattoo’s Tablet Bundle starting with Plan 1298. Coming with three free supercharged devices — a free Skyworth S73 tablet or a Cloudpad 705W, a Blackberry Curve 9220 mobile phone, and the country’s fastest broadband Wi-Fi stick which can power up to ten devices, Tattoo Bundle Plan 1298 gives you the experience of seamless connectivity wherever you are. The Tattoo Bundle plans combined these three powerful communication devices together to answer the increasing need to always stay connected. With more and more people going mobile, the Tattoo Bundle plans allow you to manage and share more so you are always in touch and always available.

“Tattoo is the authority when it comes to tablets. We have proven this already as we introduced our very first branded tablet with the Mediapad. Since then, Tattoo has always been exciting the market with compelling offers. This time Tattoo gives subscribers more ways to stay connected with a complete bundle — a tablet, a phone and a mobile WIFI device that gives seamless connectivity only from the country’s most preferred broadband,” said Dong Ronquillo, vice president, Globe Tattoo Nomadic Broadband Business.

Other Tattoo Tablet bundles are also available with varying numbers of free browsing hours together with unlimited calls and texts on the free mobile phone and connectivity through the free mobile Wi-Fi. Plan 998 has 85 browsing hours coming with a Cloudpad 705W for a one-time cash out of P1499 and Blackberry Curve 9320 phone; Plan 798 also has 85 browsing hours coupled with a Skyworth S73 for a one-time cash out of P1499 and a Cloudfone Excite 352G; Lastly, Plan 598 includes 50 browsing hours, a Cloudpad 705W for a one-time cash out of P2999 and a Cloudfone Excite 352G.

Subscribers can also choose from Tattoo’s other dynamic tablet-only offers that also come with its very own mobile wifi device. With a wider Tablet portfolio, Tattoo offers models that range from the Cloudpad 705W for one-time low cash out of P499, while the Skyworth S82 and the Cherry Fusion Bolt tablets come at a one-time cash out of P999. Android-disciples can also get their hands on the popular Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1 at P12, 999.


From reading, surfing the net, sending e-mails or just simply playing online games with your tablets on your commute, to unlimited calls and texts and mobile Internet connection, the Tattoo Bundle plans give you the best deals in the market today.

NTT doubles down on cloud services bet with Virtela, RagingWire acquisitions

NTT Communications is enhancing its cloud services portfolio by acquiring Virtela, a managed and cloud services provider, for about $525 million, as well as an 80 percent stake in data center provider RagingWire for $350 million.

By combining Virtela's service platform with NTT Communications' global ICT infrastructure, the combined company will be able to better address multi-site cloud service opportunities. When the deal is completed next year, NTT will expand its global network services coverage to over 190 countries and regions.

Through its global operations and delivery centers in the United States, India and the Philippines, Denver-based Virtela today serves over 500 customers, including a number of large multinational corporations. NTT Communications offers ICT outsourcing, including its Arcstar Universal One virtualized network services and customer-premise-to-data center and cloud-to-cloud services, which use software defined networking (SDN) technologies.

Ron Haigh, Virtela's President, told FierceTelecom in an e-mail that "NTT and Virtela share a global cloud vision and passion for support and we are excited to accelerate our efforts together to further strengthen our offerings for customers worldwide."

NTT Communications said it will enhance its broadband network services in "nearly every country of the world" by leveraging Virtela's service activation and advanced management infrastructure.

In addition, the Japan-based service provider will upgrade its cloud-based network services with Virtela's network function virtualization (NFV) technology, enabling it to virtualize customers' network equipment, such as firewalls and WAN accelerators. The two companies said that their enterprise customers will be able to get instant service activation and reduce IT service costs.

The service provider reached a separate deal to acquire approximately 80 percent equity interest in RagingWire, a U.S. data center provider. Besides doubling its data center space in the United States, NTT Communications will take advantage of the data center provider's patented 2N+2TM design, which it says "offers double the redundancy of a standard data center design at a lower cost."

Similar to other deals NTT Communications has made with cloud and data center providers, RagingWire's founders and management team will continue to operate the company as a platform under the RagingWire brand and maintain a minority interest in the company.

NTT Communications' recent moves reflect the company's overall strategy to build its cloud and data center service reach by purchasing other companies that have expertise in these areas. Earlier, the service provider acquired Solutionary and Centerstance, which gave it greater managed security and business transformation capabilities.