Nintendo of America has officially announced an agreement with JiWire, in which the company will provide Nintendo Wi-Fi users with a simple and easy way to effectively locate Wi-Fi hotspots in their area. While the service has been previously present on Nintendo’s official site for the online service, confirmation of the partnership has not come until recently.
Founded in 2003, JiWire possesses relationships with more than 400 internet service providers, and countless independent Wi-Fi enabled venues. The service accurately identifies more than 30,000 hotspots in the United States through their software. Users can download the program from the company’s official website or can simply utilize the search tool found on NintendoWiFi.com
The Nintendo Wi-Fi specific search tool allows users to easily browse between partnered and non-partnered Wi-Fi locations. These “partnered” venues refer to companies Nintendo has reached agreements with to provide users with free access to the online service. In the United States, free access to the connection is available at a growing number of McDonald’s restaurants.
Access to the service from non-partnered sites may potentially require a small fee and the use of a laptop computer and the Nintendo USB Dongle. This USB device is available exclusively on www.nintendo.com and retails at an MSRP of $34.99.
