Some interesting opinions on the WiFi landscape, particularly in the USA.
More and more as I read these sorts of articles, I think that what’s needed is a “grid” approach to buying WiFi access, where you buy access from an abstract provider, and they in turn negotiate payment rates and revenue share with all the different local hotspots. Different access providers would then be able to offer different payment models, currencies, corporate deals etc. and the users would get the huge bonus of access to a massive range of hotspots with no worries.
Wi-Fi Cafes: Easy To Find, But Free Is Fading Away — Wi-Fi — InformationWeek