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[Neon]

Heavyweight firms such as Google and internet telephony outfit Skype are to invest in an embryonic plan to share wi-fi access around the world.

They have joined with venture capital firms to plough $22m (£12.6m) into Fon, a three-month-old Spanish startup.

Fon, which has already attracted 3,000 subscribers, aims to build a network of broadband users to share connections wirelessly when away from home.

A recent survey showed that few laptop owners use wi-fi outside their homes.

According to a survey by electronics firm Toshiba, about 20% of laptop owners did not know how to use wireless functions, while 25% thought wireless existing "hotspots" were too expensive.