2006
06.26
For many cities, a municipal wireless network is no longer just a someday proposition — in fact, Wi-Fi access is either already in place or in the planning stages for cities across the US. The new question to ask is “who.” Who will have access to “free citywide access?” Updating wireless networks to reach all areas equally can put cities at risk of neglecting other needs, but leaving them alone can leave segments of the population outside the access area. Citywide installers are running into literal barriers as well — stucco, elevators, brick, buildings, and walls. New hardware is being developed to avoid the “hit and miss” method of access to all, but costs rise along with accuracy. “Free” citywide access may soon suffer from a short shelf-life.
Via [pcmag.com]
2006
06.26
Google has no plan to profit from the the free Wi-Fi service that it is providing to Mountain View, California, the city where it is based. “The reason it is free is because…we want to get a lot of people on it,” Google’s Larry Alder said at the Supernova 2006 conference in San Francisco. Though fully deployed, the service is not yet accessible to all residents in the area. Google dismissed fears of privacy infringement, insisting that it will only require users to have a Google account and will not demand for their names or addresses. The account, according to the company, is needed for problem-monitoring purposes.
Via [news.com.com]
2006
06.26
In the fast paced world of wireless development, there are a number of companies to watch. It could be using wireless for equipment monitoring, convergance phones, location tracking, customer relations software, or high speed data. Whatever the application there are some interesting times ahead.
Via [networkworld.com]