When my La Fonera was registered, I became member number 95,495 of the FON Community. This could be the start of something really big. Perhaps a revolution. Fon wants WiFi to be available everywhere and they are doing a lot to make it happen. The idea is that FON members (foneros) share their wireless Internet access at home and, in return, enjoy free WiFi access wherever they find another Fonero’s Access Point.
To become a "fonero" you go to the Fon website and order La Fonera ($29.95 plus shipping) which is a wireless access point about the size of a mobile phone. You plug in the power adapter and then connect La Fonera to a spare port on the back of your cable or DSL modem. La Fonera emits two wireless network signals — a private and a public one. The private signal is encrypted and offers you complete privacy. The public signal will be accessible to Foneros only. This free signal is the one that turns your broadband connection into a FON Access Point.
There are three kinds of Fon Community members. You can be a "linus" by offering your home La Fonera to anyone who can pick up the signal. In return you get to use anyone else’s La Fonera signal when you are not at home. If you live in a metropolitan area where many people might be using your signal, you can be a "bill" which means that FON will charge a user $3 per day for the signal and give you half of it. An alien is a person who uses the signal but is not a member. You can visit FON Maps and see where all the signals are. Perhaps there is one next door to where you vacation or visit friends and family. Make your signal free and their’s becomes free to you.
I think FON is a really good idea. They have some impressive people behind them and also have some impressive investors. As of November 21, FON says there are 20,000 Foneros who are waiting to receive their Foneras. They are shipping 5,000 Foneras per week and manufacturing Foneras as fast as they can.