Lots of improvements were made, but the main ones include:

• See only active hotspots, with hotspot status updated every hour
• Find out if a hotspot belongs to a residence or business
• Share a map with a friend by copying and pasting a map’s URL

If you want to see all of these improvements at work, just visit maps.fon.com.

As always, we’re always looking to improve, so we want to hear from you! Please let us know in the comments if there are any more features you’d like to see.

Probably the first and most important advantage of WiFi is that it allows for a deployment of wireless networks in places where this could not have been done before, such as outdoor areas or places where cables cannot be run.

Another important advantage is that any standard WiFi device will work on any WiFi network in the world. This compatible nature has led to huge growth in the WiFi market and, as a result, WiFi devices are now everywhere and can be easily found in most locations. According to a recent report from Machina Research, by 2020 the amount of connected devices will reach 24 billion. This means that WiFi will become an increasingly important part of ensuring connectivity at home and outdoors.

Great news! BT, our partner in the UK, has been awarded Best WiFi at the uSwitch Broadband Awards for  BT Fon and BT Openzone.

This is what the award organizers said about the service:

“With BT Openzone and BT Fon offering millions of people quick and easy wireless access at home and out and about, our judging panel saw BT as being streets ahead when it came to Wi-Fi service.”

This is a great way to start the year! Surely, this is only the first of many more awards to come.

Can’t get enough of Fon? Then we’ve got good news for you! Adding to our blog, Twitter and Facebook presence, Fon is now also on Google+!

Follow us on Google+ to keep up to date not only with the latest Fon developments, but also with technology news in general.

Your opinion matters!

We want to keep improving. So feel free to give us feedback on the page, and let us know what topics you would like us to cover more of in the future.

Firstly, Fon does not hold the password of all of the users in the database. In fact, many of our users who are part of the Fon community through one of our telco partners, have their passwords stored by our partners (their ISP or mobile operator). When this is the case, Fon has no access to the passwords at all, as they are not stored in Fon’s database.

Additionally, the passwords that Fon does manage are divided into numerous systems and platforms that do not share the same database or structure.

Rest assured that Fon does manage its passwords in a secure way. In keeping with industry best practice, we are aware that storing hashes or digests of passwords is considered better than encrypting them. Therefore, Fon has identified this possible improvement some time ago, and has already applied this change to some of its user types. Other users are being migrated gradually. This is by no means a security issue, as regardless of how the information is kept, it is kept safe.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your password safety, please feel free to contact our customer care team for further information about Fon’s password safety. To further increase your internet safety, we recommend that you always have a different password for each website or online service that you subscribe to.

ZON has now launched its ZON@FON service in the Azores archipelago, allowing ZON@FON as well as Fon customers to enjoy 9,000 hotspots on the islands of S. Miguel, Terceira and Faial.

ZON@FON and Fon customers can freely surf the web at any one of the network’s spots in the Azores. If you’re not yet a ZON@FON or Fon customer, you can purchase access passes directly from the hotspots at highly competitive prices.

This network is a ZON exclusive in Portugal and is available to all ZON Internet service customers who have a compatible router (ZON HUB). All that customers have to do is register at zonfon.pt. Fon customers from anywhere in the world are also free to use the network.

Good news, Portugal! This week, ZON launched its 2012 holiday campaign for ZON@FON, Portugal’s largest free WiFi network. Customers who register for the first time at zonfon.pt between now and the 8th of January 2012 will be entered into one of ZON@FON’s weekly draws to win an iPad.

Draws will take place on the 20th and 27th of December 2011, and on 3 and 10 January 2012.

Be sure to register now for your chance to win, and good luck!

Free shipping from 6 December 2011 until January 6th 2012!* 

Looking for a holiday gift that is the perfect complement to every smartphone or WiFi gadget? Fon is here to help! Buy any Fonera between now and January 6th and the shipping is completely free!

With the Fonera, you’ll not only be giving your loved ones a great WiFi experience at home, but also when they travel. Fon is the world’s largest WiFi network with nearly 5 million Fon hotspots across the globe, and accessing those hotspots is free as long as you have a Fonera connected to broadband at home.  And because the Fon WiFi network keeps on growing, it’s really the gift that keeps on giving!

Visit our product page now to choose the perfect holiday gift. Really want to wow them? Throw in our WiFi enhancing Fontenna into your cart too!

*Terms and conditions apply. Free shipping available in the US, Canada and most of Europe. It is not available in the Canary Islands, Switzerland or Norway.

Fon had a booth at the event, which  had a great response from the conference’s visitors. They were not only interested in our huge WiFi community, but also in our Fonera devices, which help make it all possible.

Needless to say, our booth was always very busy. What’s more, to help people familiarize themselves with Fon, we distributed one-day  passes and Fonera devices to a few lucky attendees.

Spreading the Fon idea is always great fun, and it’s safe to say that our team in Japan had a great time at the event!

Together with Belgacom, we’re blanketing Belgium with our free WiFi network! Before the end of the year, Belgacom customers and those in the Fon community all over the world will be able to connect to 100,000 Belgacom Fon hotspots (SSID: FON_BELGACOM) all over Belgium.

But this is not all, as the network will continue growing. In fact, there are already half a million hotspots predicted before the end of 2012! This will establish Belgacom Fon as the largest WiFi network in Belgium.

So if you’re in Belgium or planning to visit the country, be sure to bring your WiFi devices out with you because wherever you are in the country, we’ve got you covered!

See the press release for the full announcement.