Intel Capital, IBM, AT&T, Apax Partners and 3i announced the formation of Cometa Networks, which used to known as Project Rainbow. This will be a new company who is focused on bringing the dream of deploying 802.11b "hot spots" to the people.

These hot sports are areas that people can access the Internet with in a range of about 300 feet using products compatible with the 802.11b Wi-Fi standard. This effort would help realize the dream of being able to give people broadband access to the Internet almost anywhere.

Up to this point deployment of broadband outside the home or office has been limited to efforts led by such companies as Wayport, Boingo, and T-Mobile. Although broadband access in hotels and coffee shops is estimated to only offer about 3,000 access points within the US, this is a start.

Cometra's target it is deploy 20,000 access points in the coming years. Lofty goals, we will see how it pans out.