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No, it's not another hoax: there REALLY will be a WiFi Blackberry, says RIM exec

It's supposed to be an eWeek exclusive; but the news that a WiFi BlackBerry is on the Xmas present list for this year seems to have leaked out via Smartphone Today.

Reporter James Alan Miller has been a disappointed man, judging by his story.

First, rumor had it that the BlackBerry 8800 might have it. And when that didn't happen, speculation turned to what became the BlackBerry Curve. But alas, with the introduction of that eagerly-awaited device, still no Wi-Fi from Research In Motion (RIM).

But at last, Miller is certain. He quotes RIM senior VP David Yach as having "just told eWeek that the company will integrate WiFi into one of its devices before the end of the year."

And: American networks are on the case -  "We're working with the carriers to support that kind of technology," Yach explained to eWeek.

Miller can't find out from Yach which carriers RIM has been talking to about offering a WiFi integrated BlackBerry, but believes that one likely candidate is T-Mobile, which has "by far the largest WiFi footprint, with over 8,000 hotspots across the country," - a reference to the Starbucks franchise, and others.

Also check out Wayne Rash's original eWeek.com story