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Here in Portland, OR we have free (previously Ad-supported) Wi-Fi pretty much everywhere in the city provided by MetroFi. They joined with Microsoft in January to provide the service ad-free but with the catch of downloading MSN's "SideGuide" program, which is pretty much just a search bar that directs to windows live search. So here in Portland the general idea is that Wi-Fi access *is* free.
And hell, if you don't want to bother with MetroFi, I've never been in an area downtown that doesn't have at least 5 unsecured APs.

Here in Portland, OR we have free (previously Ad-supported) Wi-Fi pretty much everywhere in the city provided by MetroFi. They joined with Microsoft in January to provide the service ad-free but with the catch of downloading MSN's "SideGuide" program, which is pretty much just a search bar that directs to windows live search. So here in Portland the general idea is that Wi-Fi access *is* free.
And hell, if you don't want to bother with MetroFi, I've never been in an area downtown that doesn't have at least 5 unsecured APs.

MetroFi, actually, did just that - and I live within their coverage.

The MetroFi's signal is decent, but they require a login before you can access any IPs beyond the registration server, so if you have equipment that assumes connectivity (like an IP phone, or even a PS3) then it does not work (since there may be no browser to do the login first.)

We are entering a new legal ground here then. Instead of being guided by fences and "private property" signs we have to walk around with GPS receivers to make sure we are not stepping on someone's private land. In my area, there is Free municipal WiFi. So why should I automatically avoid unencrypted access points when it's trivial to secure ones someone wants to keep private?

http://www.metrofi.com/

MetroFi did this in Santa Clara, Cupertino and Sunnyvale! They are using ad based revenue to offer free WiFi to their users. See the press release from December of 2005 Here

They have just won the bids for Aurora, IL & Portland, OR.

http://www.metrofi.com/

MetroFi did this in Santa Clara, Cupertino and Sunnyvale! They are using ad based revenue to offer free WiFi to their users. See the press release from December of 2005 Here

They have just won the bids for Aurora, IL & Portland, OR.

Cupertino now has it too. (I'm not in Sunnyvale either.) Check out the coverage map on the website http://www.metrofi.com/ I wouldn't recomend it if you spend 80% of your time grabbing large (1g) files. But I have done the start D/L go to bed wake up with iso trip for getting distro iso's.

BZZZZZZZT yourself.

I actually LIVE in Sunnyvale. The coverage is very, very far from "city-wide." See for yourself. That map displays a small section of downtown Sunnyvale, and not even that fraction of the city is completely covered.