My second "two ways" post of the day, this time about two ways to get free Wi-Fi.
One is to go to New Orleans, which just launched a service created partly with equipment donated by Intel and Tropos Networks. Mayor Ray Nagin worked for cable provider Cox Communications before his election. When asked about the effect of dropping free wireless into a competitive environment, Nagin remarked, "In a competitive environment, someone will find a way to offer enhanced services." Not only that, but people who really care about speed will want cable or DSL for their home. The wireless is for the mobile user.
The other way to get free Wi-Fi is to go to Panera Bread or another cafe that is using free Wi-Fi as a competitive tool. This summer, in Salt Lake City, I was looking for Wi-Fi, and I definitely would have dropped a few dollars on a pastry and drink to get it.
Public Wi-Fi is a mess. John Dvorak predicts that free municipal Wi-Fi is a doomed concept, but I hope he is wrong. (Matt Buchanan thinks free Wi-Fi is "inevitable.") For me this is not so much about getting something for nothing as about getting something -- namely, a connection -- when I need it. The crazy quilt of fee-based Wi-Fi services is a major hassle, in addition to being expensive, especially for the occasional traveler.
Is free Wi-Fi a competitive advantage for New Orleans as it tries to attract convention business again? Will Panera force Starbucks to abandon T-Mobile in favor of free Wi-Fi? I don't know, but I am watching these experiments with interest.
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1. Posted by Larry on November 30, 2005 @ 22:17 | Permalink
I also have been watching this stuff with interest, especially the efforts by state legislators to outlaw municipal wi-fi and other such services. I'm not sure where I stand on it but there's no question that getting a connection when you want it is a good thing. I've thought that municipal wi-fi probably makes more sense in remote areas that would not otherwise be able to get decent internet service; not sure how I feel about large cities - where service provided by the private sector is much more likely. Should be interesting to see how it shakes out.
2. Posted by Christine on December 1, 2005 @ 7:58 | Permalink
In my neighborhood, there are three coffee/pastry houses on one street -- Silver Spring. Within blocks from each other are a Panera (w/ free wifi), a Starbucks, and a Stone Creek Coffee (w/ free wifi). Starbucks does not seem to have been harmed. I think it's the comfy chairs. But, our neighborhood has more occasional users -- it's not an area with a lot of students, for instance, or travelers.
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