The emergence of a public Wi-Fi market in the very early part of this decaded seemed to present an opportunity for several Canadian entrepreneurs to test business models crafted to exploit what appeared to be a growing appetite for public wireless Internet access. One such startup was Spotnik Mobile, which chose to try to become the wholesale provider of Wi-Fi capacity to Telus Mobility. Telus seemed to be an enthusiastic customer, and invested approximately $6 million in the hotspot operator and other wireless operators.

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