Nintendo and Telstra team up and offer Free DS Wifi Hotspots

Nintendo Australia sent us word today that Nintendo has partnered with Telstra and their Wifi Hotspot servers to offer Nintendo DS users free Wifi in over 1000 locations across Australia. The free Telstra Wireless Hotspots are in stores including McDonalds, Starbucks as well as hotels and City hotzones. Melbourne and Sydney airports in are also now covered. A list of Telstra hotspots can be found here

More Inside All you have to do, is to bring a Nintendo DS unit and a Wi-Fi enabled game into a Telstra Wireless Hotspot destination, launch the game in Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection mode, with No setup is required. The hotspot info you need will be up soon at www.NintendoWiFi.com.au. We are seeking a confirmation from Nintendo Australia as well to ensure the validity of awesome news.

Press Release

Nintendo Australia, in conjunction with Telstra, is pleased to announce that Nintendo DS users can now enjoy Wi-Fi service to Nintendo DS at over 1,000 Telstra Wireless Hotspot destinations across Australia. Destinations include McDonalds Restaurants, Starbucks Cafs, airports, hotels and city hotzones throughout Melbourne and Sydney. Through the agreement with Telstra, Nintendo will offer complimentary access to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the wireless gaming service that millions of Nintendo fans around the globe have been connecting to and playing online.
“”This agreement with Telstra will bring countless people together to play games in a single, simultaneous wireless community,”” says Rose Lappin, Director of Sales and Marketing, Nintendo Australia. “”Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is simple to use. Beginning with free access at participating destinations, we have removed one of the major barriers that have kept people from going online to play games.””
Telstras Director of Internet Products, Craig Turner said Nintendo DS users will enjoy seamless connection to Telstras Wireless Hotspot network.

This is an Australian first and is all about providing convenience through innovation, ensuring Nintendo DS users are automatically authenticated onto the Telstra Wireless Hotspot network whenever they enter a coverage zone.

Telstra is delighted to be working with Nintendo as it demonstrates the flexibility of our network and its ability to support the increasing array of Wi-Fi enabled consumer devices. It also introduces a completely new consumer audience to Australias largest wireless hotspot network that until recently has predominantly attracted corporate users, Mr Turner said.
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection creates a welcome, inviting community where gamers of all kinds can log on wirelessly and begin playing favorite games like Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing: Wild World, Metroid Prime Hunters, Starfox Command, Club House Games, Tenchu Dark Secret and Activision’s Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam. More new titles will continued to be added to the range of games that can be played via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

When a user brings a Nintendo DS unit and a Wi-Fi-enabled game into a Telstra Wireless Hotspot destination, the user simply launches the game in Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection mode. No setup is required.

From home, if the user already has a Wi-Fi network, the Nintendo DS unit will connect directly to it with minimal setup procedures. Those who have a high-speed Internet connection such as cable or DSL, but no wireless network, can use the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector, which will plug into the USB port of a PC running Windows XP to create a wireless access point to connect a DS to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Detailed information about Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, as well as a list of participating Telstra hotspots, will be available soon at www.NintendoWiFi.com.au .