Microsoft smartphone users will have access to a database of 11 million wi-fi hotspots worldwide so that they can always locate the best connection wherever they go, thanks to an agreement with Devicescape.

While consumers and commentators alike continue to discuss the postives and the negatives of Windows Phone 8 compared with its Android and Apple competition, one area where the operating system has a clear advantage over its competitors is in finding free wi-fi.

Users will be able to access a database of 11 million hotspots around the globe so that they can always find the best and the cheapest connection, wherever their life takes them. The database, created and managed by wi-fi software vendor Devicescape, has been licensed to Microsoft for inclusion in Windows Phone 8 handsets, Devicescape announced Tuesday.

To guarantee that the users always have the best connection, Drivescape is constantly adding new hotspots to its network while constantly accessing information from millions of devices using existing hotspots in its database to ascertain which connections provide the best speed and quality.