Microsoft is making hay while the sun shines on Redmond. The company has revealed, albeit taciturnly, plans for a global Wi-Fi service covering 130 countries with 10 million hotspots. Microsoft Wi-Fi, as it will be called, first caught the attention of VentureBeat who managed to grab some information from microsoftwifi.com before the page was taken down and all we were left with were the words ‘coming soon’. Before that, however, VentureBeat did manage to rescue some information including Microsoft’s intention of offering “productivity on the go” and “hassle-free Internet access around the world”. The discovery was first made by Twitter user WalkingCat.

The service will be similar to Microsoft’s Skype Wi-Fi – currently with 2 million hotspots – although this latest offering will have a much larger network of providers. There doesn’t really seem to much more difference, only the fact it will be vastly more available. Plans have been in the pipeline for some time as Microsoft registered the domain a little more than a year ago with brand protection solutions company MarkMonitor, according to computerworld.

VentureBeat also reported that the Wi-Fi service will be available to Microsoft’s $149 Work and Play Bundle which includes Skype Unlimited World service, Office 365 Home, and Xbox Live Gold. The service will also be available to existing Office 365 enterprise customers, as well as anyone with the Skype Wi-Fi Bundle. For the short time the page was up there were Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Windows Phone download links. The service will connect users when in range, although at this point no one is exactly sure how it will be paid for, whether with Skype credits, or some other way.

Microsoft has been asked to divulge more information but has so far declined. In a response to Time the company only reiterated what it had previously said before, that, “We are evaluating a new service, called Microsoft Wi-Fi that will bring hassle-free Wi-Fi to millions.”

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