Oceanic Time Warner Cable announced this morning that it has started to deploy Wi-Fi hotspots in Hawaii.
Starting today, Time Warner Cable subscribers with Standard Internet or above data tiers that live in Oahu can access more than 400 hotspots across the island. Time Warner Cable said it would be adding more access points the rest of this year as it builds out the Wi-Fi network. For starters, TWC WiFi is available in Sunset Beach, Kailua District Park and the Stan Sheriff Arena.
“Increasingly, our Hawaii customers want to take their high-speed Internet with them out of the home and on-the-go,” said Oceanic President Bob Barlow. “The TWC WiFi network we’re building for Hawaii will allow our customers to greatly maximize their TWC Internet subscription – at no additional charge.”
Time Warner Cable has used Wi-Fi gear from both Cisco and Ruckus Wireless in the past, with Ruckus getting the nod in Hawaii.
To connect to TWC WiFi, users need to look for the “TWCWiFi” network name in their connection manager, open their browsers and login. Time Warner Cable subscribers can use the company’s TWC Wi-Fi Finder app , which works with both Android and Apple iOS devices, to find nearby hotspots.
Time Warner Cable has ramped up the roll out of its Wi-Fi service this year. In July, it added 1,000 access points in Manhattan after announcing the same month that it had 12,000 hotspots in the Los Angeles area it serves.
Time Warner Cable previously said Wi-Fi deployments were underway in Kansas City and Austin (where it competes against Google Fiber in both locations), and Charlotte.
Time Warner Cable subscribers’ Wi-Fi access gains are also a benefit for the subscribers within the Cable WiFi alliance, which includes Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Cablevision and Bright House Networks, as they will also be able to access the new hotspots.
Earlier this year, the Cable WiFi alliance announced that there were more than 150,000 access points across the nation for their subscribers to use. All told, the roaming pact is the biggest Wi-Fi network in the nation, and a useful means for keeping cable subscribers from wandering off into the arms of other service providers.
