the idea of giving away “free” wireless internet access to generally stimulate business may turn out to have been a bit of a bubble. Up-front costs can be quite high, and the payback is long-term and difficult to measure.
I’m guessing that the initiatives which succeed in this area will be the ones with a sensible business model at the heart of the operation, which supports the whole thing as it grows and becomes popular.
Technology News: Wireless Networking: Bye Bye, WiFi? Local Governments Abandoning Network Plans
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
A dynamic map of free WiFi access points in London Free Wifi in London…Mapped
While travelling on public transport, I quite like the idea of searching for restaurants, attractions etc. near the destination rather than near the current location, but that makes for some interesting challenges, too. More cities offer Wi-Fi on buses