September 20, 2005

This is getting scary. Is there anything that Google won’t do? 

According to Reuters, Google is planning to get into the WiFi [wireless access] business. Soon we’ll need to find another way of describing the company. Perhaps we could call them “The Company Formerly Known As a Search Engine.” Here are the key bits Reuters dug up from the Google Web site:


The Google Web site has several references to Google WiFi but provides few details. One page, http://wifi.google.com/faq.html, refers to a product called “Google Secure Access”, which is designed to “establish a more secure connection while using Google WiFi.”


A separate page, http://wifi.google.com/download.html, offers a free download of Google Secure Access, carrying the headline: “Your wireless connection is almost ready to use.”

Google declined to comment further.

Speculation about a forthcoming Google WiFi service has been rife since August following an article in Business 2.0 magazine, but the company has refused to discussed its plans.


Chasers, we aren’t sure how this all fits into our future, but we know that it is very interesting.  Stay tuned.

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Howard has been in journalism for 40 years. His resume includes positions with the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle and…
Howard Finberg

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