(Fon Wireless Ltd., Madrid, Spain.) A company founded in 2005 by Martin Varsavsky that sponsors a global Wi-Fi community. Fon members ("Foneros") install a special router that lets them securely share their Wi-Fi networks with other Foneros who are in the vicinity. In turn, they have free access to any other "Fon Spot" (Fon hotspot) in the world. Fon's revenue comes from non-members who pay for access, and Foneros can share in that revenue when paying users log in through their hotspots. As of 2021, there are more than 20 million Fon Spots worldwide.
Hookup is Via the Fonera Router
Joining the Fon community is accomplished by purchasing a low-cost wireless router called the "Fonera," which hooks up to the user's network. The Fonera router provides two secure wireless signals, one for the owner and the other for the public.
Linus, Bill and Alien
Linuses (as in Linus Torvalds) are Foneros who share their Fon Spots with other Foneros for free and in turn receive free access to Fon hotspots worldwide. Bills (as in Bill Gates) are Foneros who offer their Fon Spots for remuneration, and Aliens are non-members who purchase a pass from Fon for Linus or Bill hotspot usage. See
Wi-Fi.