New Google Blog

[Feb 5, 2006] We commented it some days ago, and today it's confirmed: Google joins Fon movement.

The Fon project, which aims to create a Community of users who can share their Internet access via WiFi in order to make possible to access to the Internet for free in any point of the globe, gets funds by Google and Skype.

This investment by Google makes sense in order to take parte into a project which allows users to have an easy access to information, and also to transmit it. In addition, Google will able to develop more wireless tools, along with this WiFi Community.

According to the press release, Fon has secured €18 million (USD$21.7M) in Series A funding from Index Ventures, Google, Sequoia Capital and Skype. Index Ventures led the round. The company also announced that Danny Rimer (Index Ventures), Mike Volpi (Cisco) and Niklas Zennström (Skype) joined the board.

“There is perhaps no more important goal for the industry than helping to make broadband Internet access available around the world,” said Skype CEO Niklas Zennström. “FON has a great idea to help people share WiFi with one another to build a global unified broadband network, and we’re happy to lend support. Enabling more communities to tap into the power of the Web benefits us all”.

UPDATED More info:

:: Martin Varsavsky (Fon CEO): A dream come true

:: Iurgi Arginzoniz (Fon crew): Disruption rocks. "Soon we will be able to have internet connection wherever we are. We will pay a monthly fee to our provider and will be allowed to use it all over the world."

:: Ejovi Nuwere: Fon grows stronger. "It means we now have more gas to fuel the movement.".

:: Om Malik: Google, Skype fund Fon. "To get funding from them is a big surprise. It does make sense, since Google has its own wireless and network ambitions".