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My pal "Bob the Computer Guy" (he who repairs and maintains all my machinery) took a road trip from hereabouts in the NY Metropolitan area to somewhere in Wisconsin, then back via Minnesota. This was back in November. Bob reports that no matter where he went it amde no difference: he could park the car, turn on the laptop, and almost inevitably find a freebie WiFi signal. He checked his e-mail, caught up on some sites, and generally just did whatever he needed to.
Sometimes, in some rare cases, he might have needed to stop a time or two in a given little burg to catch a signal. But there are so many wireless networks and so many people "broadcasting" some signal which others may grab for a quick-check (as he was doing) that it made for a great deal of simple connectivity at no cost.
Here in my office we have a wireless network, bridging a few different users and companies. It went down a few weeks ago, and yet somehow we managed to capture a weak bit of signal, just the same. Which of our neigbors it may be, we don't know. But if their wireless net should go down, we sure hope they can make use of ours while they make the necessary repairs.
FWIW, the wireless net we jumped onto is not in this building. Someone has a signal with some legs, in a neighboring building. We are amazed by this. And more than a little thankful!
The sole purpose for the wireless signal here is for the laptops and for desktops in rooms which present some difficulty for hardwiring.
Very, very soon it will be so inexpensive and ubiquitous --and so expected, taken for granted-- that the T-Mobile pay-for-wireless model will become the answer to a trivia question. Those receiver cards one can plug into laptops will soon become two-way and also broadcast signal on a repeater-style basis. How will T-Mobile (et al) figure out a way to charge users for what is freely passed along as a common courtesy?
Your analogies are good: air conditioning, water. Sure, one can go to private rooms (or the frequent flyer clubs) and get private AC, and designer water. But the no-frills versions are amenities that the average user simply comes to expect. They are provided as a public service, accounted for on the line budget and the balance sheet as a standard sort of simple cost of doing business.
Think of the chagrin T-Mobile will endure when the car-rental companies and the hot-dog, coffee, and news stands start offering Wireless for free.
It is a changing world, and T-Mobile will soon be perceived as the greedy bad guy profiteers who want to charge for what everyone else (even McDonalds's!) gives away for free.
Supersize my WiFi, please.
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