Also, it's still early in the game. I wish I could remember the companies involved, but there are at leasttwo systems that I've read about that will extend the range of WiFi to a wider area than just one building. Forall I know, they only look great on paper, but the concepts are intriguing. One broadens the transmission area by using repeaters stationed on light poles and the like, as well as using each user device in the vicinity as a repeatingstation for other users. The other technology extends the range of the base antenna's signal to several miles. Some combination of those methods could blanket a large area and have the telcos wringing their hands.
In some places, WiFi is free as long as you have the equipment to connect. (There's controversy when hobbyistsbroadcast access in defiance of the Acceptable Use Policy of the Internet Service Provider they've connected to.)I've wondered if our newspaper should think about offering WiFi for free or cheap (legally, of course) if we could get a signal to reach several blocks of office buildings. (That'll probably have to wait until the above mentioned extending technologies develop a track record.) I think the McDonalds and Starbucks of the world would be better served offering free access to lure customers to their stores.
In some places, WiFi is free as long as you have the equipment to connect. (There's controversy when hobbyistsbroadcast access in defiance of the Acceptable Use Policy of the Internet Service Provider they've connected to.)I've wondered if our newspaper should think about offering WiFi for free or cheap (legally, of course) if we could get a signal to reach several blocks of office buildings. (That'll probably have to wait until the above mentioned extending technologies develop a track record.) I think the MacDonalds and Starbucks of the world would be better served offering free access to lure customers to their stores.
