Wifi for the masses

Senkir · inward singing since 1983 Gender: Joined: 21 Sep 2002

if you're cool like me, you live on the westcoast. specifically stumptown, aka portland.

further, if you're in portland, then you'll soon be getting free wifi downtown (hooray for me!)

check it out, man!

http://www.kgw.com/news-local/stories/kgw_102606_news_wifi_portland.79588db0.html

someone was saying that several other cities are trying to do this? anyone have info?

otherwise, sucks to be you! Shocked

*downloads the internet... for free*

Blackmage · Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 11:25 pm Post subject:

Neat... I still think the future is going to end up very MM Battlenetworkish.

BK · undefined Gender: Joined: 20 Oct 2006

There's a cafe in the Dallas area that offers free wifi. For anyone that comes to Akon, me and my friends will show you around to some of the great eataries.

GAAZ · MOD Black Sheep Commander Gender: Joined: 14 Oct 2002

Google is already considering unleashing a free Nation-wide Wifi cloud.

And actually in Oregon there's rural towns that a guy spent $5 Million to build a broadcast tower that gives people the internet for free and charges businesses to use.

Razer · 4934 5157 5662 5658 Gender: Joined: 07 Oct 2002

I think Wi-Fi will be free eventually since the number of hotspots and towers will eventually overlap their zones. It'll be like broadcast TV. You buy the TV and you have free channels. The channels will then begin charging for content (ala Gamespot, IGN, and those types) in a "Cable TV" move. It may take some time but it'll happen not out of design, but out of effect. Simply too many services will be offerring it. My kids have a broadband connection in their house but when they log on, they usually get on to the connection some 200 feet down the street because that guy's connection is that powerful. That's what's gonna happen.
In the case of businesses (coffehouses) it's going to become an expected feature, just like sports events in bars. Nobody even notices now but how many eateries have TV's up and running? Even Walmart broadcasts exclusive concerts by major artists...tho who is going to actually stand around in Walmart for two hours to watch them?

FawkesFyre · Posted: Fri Nov 03, 2006 1:07 pm Post subject:

It would be nice to just pay a flat fee and be able to use wiFi anywhere it is available. I have WiFi on my laptop at home but never been able to really use it since all the hotspots around me are T-Mobile where you have to pay something like $40 a month to gain access to it.

Although it wasn't very fast, I did figure out that my neighbor got broadband...I was picking up a weak signal for a little bit. Can ppl tell when you are picking up their signal? Although its cool, I don't want her to think I'm leeching off her connection. Shocked

Silver Adept · Otaku Lord Age: 42 Gender: Joined: 20 May 2003

It depends on what you're doing with it. Sometimes you can tell, other times not so much.