Free WiFi

[bcsdguy]

Has anyone seen this article? http://time.com/3591964/nyc-payphones-wifi/
I wonder is this will catch on in all the big cities? It could affect cell phone usage. It could save a lot of cell phone data.

[dons2346]

AllegroD wrote:
It said "free Internet access to city residents". This now becomes a tax issue and fare taxation issue, at that. Plus, is there a fee for non-residents, maybe a little high to help off set the cost. This will not truly be free.

Very true. Then you will have all the rv people hanging around downloading movies because it is free

[rwbradley]

The security issues aside, keep in mind that with populations flat or dropping in many first world cities, they are starting to be competitive in recruting people and companies move into their town. An investment of $10,000 in WIFI in the downtown core may be perceived as a way to bring in more people/income tax base. The same reason they build parks, hockey arena's, libraries etc. They all cost someone money and often have no or little direct return on investment, but if they make the city a (perceived)better place to live the increased tax base may significantly outweigh the cost. The thing that matters is if someone has actually done a cost analysis to see if it is going to benefit the cities income stream or not.

[1775]

A number of cable companies with internet service are offering free wifi in certain areas but this is only to their customers requiring log in with a customer ID. The idea of free wifi is great but right now it does not exist unless it is being put out by a business or store or restaurant or hotel (or campground) to get one to come in, spend money and use the hotspot. Are they secure? Nothing is secure any more. Are they convenient? Sure, just don't use one to do your banking. And they are not everyplace and their range is limited generally to that building and maybe a little distance outside so you are not always able to use them on the street. My question, as said in other responses here, is who is going to pay to make free wifi available everywhere in a city and for everyone. There is always going to be a catch if a business offers to do this for a locality. Or someone is going to put their hand in my pocket to pay for it for everyone. So don't get rid of your data plans just yet.

[Ourhomeonwheels]

I agree 100% with Wintersun.

[wintersun]

It is only "free" if you ignore the risks of being on an unsecured public network and having your computer or smartphone hacked.

[AllegroD]

It said "free Internet access to city residents". This now becomes a tax issue and fare taxation issue, at that. Plus, is there a fee for non-residents, maybe a little high to help off set the cost. This will not truly be free.

[christopherglen]

I would like to see a wifi hotspot on street lights. Far more of them then phone booths.

[5er4ever]

Hope it comes to Canada.

[Ron3rd]

Time Warner Cable is doing that in some areas.

[rwbradley]

I believe you will see way more of these in the future. This is a first step for the phone companies to save money in densely populated areas. The are starting to discover that they can implement WIFI in train stations, stadiums and other places that have large amounts of people in a small space for far less that it costs them to implement cellular in those same areas. Some cell providers are now implementing cellular over WIFI (VoIP) to take advantage of these free hotspots and take some of the load off their overloaded cell networks. Also AT&T is offering a home cellular hotspot, not because they are being nice and want to help you get better cell coverage in your house, but to take the load off their cell network and put it on their cheaper high speed internet backbone.

[Fizz]

This is old news in the UK.
They had this the last time we went over.

[Campfire_Time]

http://time.com/3591964/nyc-payphones-wifi/

It's a cool thing, but I doubt this will cause any dramatic changes in cell phone usage vs using hotspots. Ever walk around NYC, or any other big city DT area? There is no shortage of free hotspots to save your data usage. And anyone who uses a lot of data already knows where the free hotspots are. This just helps increase the number of available options.

[RoyB]

Thats a grand idea.... I'm sure all of the CAPTAIN AMERICA dudes will love the idea that the old phone booths they use to change into their action uniform will still be available for some time to come.

Roy Ken