Bright House Networks is using 2,000 WiFi hotspots it has built in Florida to offer high-speed Internet access in public areas to its cable modem subscribers. The MSO may also be able to attract customers from Verizon and other rivals by pitching the product to non-subscribers.

Bright House mobile app

Bright House is using WiFi gear from Canadian vendor BelAir Networks, which also supplies WiFi hardware and software to Cablevision, Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Its high-speed Internet subscribers get access to the WiFi hotspots for free. It is charging non-subscribers that discover its WiFi hotspots on their mobile phones, tablets or laptops fees ranging from $1.99 per minute to $19.95 weekly for wireless Internet access.

With sales of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets computers like Apple's iPad and Amazon's Kindle Fire continuing to increase, offering access to WiFi hotspots can help cable MSOs that market triple plays of digital video, high-speed Internet and telephone service differentiate themselves from satellite rivals DirecTV and Dish Network. While AT&T has a nationwide network of WiFi hotspots, and supplies Starbucks and McDonalds stores with WiFi gear for free Internet access, Verizon operates few WiFi access points.