Fon tops 15 million WiFi hotspots worldwide and promotes Alex Puregger to CEO to lead next phase

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Fon, the global WiFi network, announced today that it has surpassed 15 million hotspots. Recent partnerships with Vodafone in Spain and Italy, as well as an increasing number of hotspots with existing partners all over the world, have allowed Fon to grow at record pace. The company added 3 million hotspots in less than one year.

The rapid footprint expansion will give Fon the opportunity to cover a vast majority of the European population with WiFi. The Americas, Oceania, and Asia are also growing continuously. Fon coverage in Japan is set to increase further via its partnership with SoftBank, boosted by a recently announced partnership with Wireless Gate. Fon WiFi will be served in popular public places as an initiative to provide public WiFi for tourists towards 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. In Australia, Fon will roll out the joint Telstra-Fon WiFi network in the coming months.

Fon was founded in 2006 by serial entrepreneur, Martin Varsavsky. His vision was to build a network of people who share their WiFi. Today, the Fon network covers more than 15 million WiFi hotspots and is set to pass 25 million in a few years.

In a unanimous decision by Fon’s Board of Directors, Alex Puregger, who has been serving as Fon’s COO for many years, was confirmed as the new CEO of Fon.

Martin Varsavsky will continue to serve as Chairman of the Board.

Martin Varsavsky said: “When I started Fon, it was nothing but an idea and a vision. Now we are the world’s largest WiFi network, growing fast all over the world. I feel that I have done my part and what I do best: build things from scratch and put them on track. Now, a new phase for Fon begins and I leave my position in the best possible hands. Alex and I have been working together closely for a long time, and he has been a great COO helping to get Fon to where we are today. I am convinced that he will continue to do an amazing job as the new CEO.”

Alex Puregger said: “When I joined Fon, I did so with the clear conviction to be part of something big, something that would sustainably change the telecommunications world. I feel confident to say that we have already achieved that, but the real change is still ahead of us. We are only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how we use WiFi and how to make Fon WiFi an integrated part of our everyday lives at home and on the move. In the coming years, we will see many billions of devices constantly looking for WiFi. I am very excited that I was entrusted with the CEO role and the task of leading the company into that next phase.”

The CEO change came as part of a transition plan that has been in the works for some time. Alex Puregger has been overseeing the company’s day-to-day operations, strategy and partnerships as COO since 2010. He has served on the Board of Directors and has been with Fon since its early days. Prior to Fon, Alex worked for eight years as a strategy consultant in telecommunications and media for Booz & Company (now Strategy&). He helped establish the Booz office in Vienna and led the telecommunications team in the Iberian peninsula. Alex has worked in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, studied in Vienna, Paris (ISG) and Washington D.C. (Georgetown) and holds a Master’s Degree in International Business from the University of Vienna.

 

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