NetStumbler.com

President Bush has established the important goal of achieving universal broadband availability for all Americans by 2007. Yet, in a little-noticed portion of its budget, the Administration urges Congress to enact a new tax, euphemistically described as a “user fee” on unauctioned spectrum licenses that give holders the right to transmit radio signals. It is hard to discern precisely what is intended by this obscure proposal, but within 24 hours of its release the White House said it had no intention of taxing Wi-Fi services that operate in unlicensed spectrum.
Via [businessweek.com]

Beleaguered proponents of a citywide Wi-Fi network in New York City are desperately trying to make a meal of the thin crust Mayor Michael Bloomberg threw them recently when he reversed his previous position and supported the formation of a task force to look into the idea.
Via [wi-fiplanet.com]

Swedish fabless wireless provider Nanoradio AB today announced the launch of its first generation Wi-Fi chipset solution, NRX700, aimed at the portable electronic device market.
Via [reed-electronics.com]

Newbury Networks Inc., and Senforce Technologies, Inc. have integrated their wireless security products to allow organizations to manage Wi-Fi security policies throughout their networks.
Via [informationweek.com]

Partners in the nation’s largest city-run wireless Internet service said Tuesday that they are helping residents. But a telephone-industry official urged Congress to bar such projects, saying they compete unfairly with private companies and stifle innovation.
Via [seattlepi.nwsource.com]

Nokia announced a host of initiatives in seamless connectivity between cellular and WiFi networks as well as cooperation with other handset makers on interoperability of DVB-H compliant handsets and networks on the opening day of the 3GSM World Congress here.
Via [commsdesign.com]

BT is reportedly considering a bid for Pipex in a move that would give it one of the scarce WiMax licences currently held in the UK.
Via [computing.co.uk]

I bought a WiFi card for my laptop a year ago, then waited around for one of my children to install it. They spent most of the year watching pirated downloads of the Fox cartoon ”Family Guy,” so last month I decided to read the directions that came with the card: Insert in slot on right. That was easy.
Via [boston.com]

Few start-ups encapsulate the desperate utopianism of the times so much as Fon Technology.
Via [theregister.co.uk]

A friend of mine has an aunt who lives in Los Angeles. Recently she decided that she would like to have wireless networking in her home, and although she is not a techie, went out and bought a laptop and a Wi-Fi router, set up the base station and plugged it into her ADSL modem.
Via [observer.guardian.co.uk]

A growing focus on portability and consumer electronics has bolstered demand for wireless technologies in the western European automotive industry, according to newly published research.
Via [vnunet.com]

Schools are turning to wireless networks – especially WiMax – as a more cost effective way of providing internet access to more locations.
Via [networks.silicon.com]

The City of Boston, long conspicuous by the absence of any municipal-wide effort to supply Wi-Fi access, is moving to support a citywide rollout of the wireless technology that is expected to be outlined in a report next week from a non-profit organization.
Via [informationweek.com]

BT surprised the City on Thursday morning by announcing third-quarter figures that were better than analysts had predicted.
Via [news.zdnet.co.uk]

Networking vendor D-Link has announced plans to switch its development focus to the recently approved draft 802.11n technology, which it expects to become ratified as a wireless standard in 2007.
Via [vnunet.com]