Free WiFi May Be Coming to a City Near You

Free WiFi May Be Coming to a City Near You Posted: 02 Dec 2008 12:55 PM PST By Taylor Pratt The FCC will vote on a plan this month that would bring free WiFi nationwide, according to a Reuters. Although strongly opposed by the cell phone industry, the plan calls to auction public airwaves with a mandate that the winning bidder set aside some for free Internet nationwide. You might think this is a no-brainer, but it isn't all cupcakes and puppies. Free WiFi Pros Free nationwide Internet access (obviously). With the lack of competition, Internet prices are continuing to rise. This would force Internet providers to lower prices to stay competitive. Internet speed would most likely be mid-level DSL speed (with the ability to upgrade for a fee). Don't forget, people are still paying for dial-up out there (how do they survive?!). The FCC's office of engineering and technology says there would be no significant interference with other airwaves. Free WiFi Cons The winning WiFi bidder would most likely incorporate some type of advertising platform into the WiFi service. T-Mobile believes that the free WiFi would lead to interference with the adjacent spectrum (even though the FCC's engineers say it shouldn't). Pornography and other offensive content will be blocked (yep, people are upset about that). I haven't heard anything about how they plan to secure the public WiFi. What are your thoughts on free nationwide WiFi? It seems inevitable. Taylor Pratt is a Search Marketing Specialist at nFusion, a results focused marketing agency. Pilgrim's Partners: Is a blogger attacking your company without you knowing? Monitor your online reputation with Andy Beal's Trackur–try it for free!   Sylvia Hubbard Author, Blogger and Founder of Motown Writers Network http://sylviahubbard.com http://motownwriters.com http://michiganliterarynetwork.com http://detroitliterarynetwork.com     NOW AVAILABLE: Secrets, Lies and Family Ties order your copy now