Wee-Fi: Hughes Ups Downstream Speeds; Eye-Fi Raises More Cash

HughesNet now delivers 5 Mbps downstream over satellite: The network was previously limited to 3 Mbps down for a whopping $190 or $210 per month, depending on whether you paid upfront for the receiver or not. The new service, ElitePremium (running out of superlatives, eh, HughesNet?), doesn’t yet show up in their list of plans, and the press release declines to mention the price, which is likely to be $250 per month based on their other tiers. While that’s steep, when the alternative is nothing, paying $60 for 1 Mbps to perhaps $250 Mbps for 5 Mbps downstream could be a lifeline for businesses in the boonies.

Eye-Fi raises $11m in second funding round: I don’t cover companies’ financial dealings often, but Eye-Fi is always worth highlighting, as they appear to be the only smart entrant in the entire universe of cameras-with-Wi-Fi, and they’re not even a camera maker. Camera makers have typically limited or straitjacked the onboard Wi-Fi. Eye-Fi’s now three models of SD cards with Wi-Fi built in have a pretty wide range of controls and abilities. I tested out the Eye-Fi Explore recently, which pairs Wi-Fi GPS-like positioning from Skyhook with Wayport hotspot access, and the review appears in Saturday’s Seattle Times. Eye-Fi’s biggest challenge is better camera integration, so that cameras can handle power management in discussion with the card; camera makers have to not feel threatened by Eye-Fi’s smart technology, though.

Wee-Fi: Car-Fi, Boston Ferry-Fi, Thai-Fi
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