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Project Rainbow - 802.11 Across the U.S.

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the pot-of-gold-optional dept.

rakerman writes "IBM, Intel and a number of wireless services operators are considering building a wireless data network across the U.S., according to the New York Times."

5 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. celphones first! by paradesign · · Score: 4, Insightful

    id like my phone to work everywhere first!
    if they cant do that how are they ever going to do this?

    --
    I want 2D games back.
  2. Yawn... by bitmason · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Sure it would be cool to have the long promised everywhere, everywhen connectivity. But aside from the technical issues (e.g. what version of the standard), it's difficult to see us getting anywhere close to the point where enough people are willing to plop down the requisite amount of monthly $$'s to make this viable.

    Pick a number: $50/month, $100/month? How much are you willing to pony up for patchy wireless internet connectivity primarily in relatively heavily populated areas? Consider that even broadband penetration seems to have plateaued to a large degree in the areas where it is available. Not everyone's willing to pay $40-$50/month for better computer access.

  3. A real 3G cell network would be better. by Delta-9 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    They should be worried about getting a real 3G cell network off the ground first.

    Then we can do all those things with more flexibility than what is mentioned in that very short "article."

  4. This is good? by Catbeller · · Score: 3, Insightful

    802.11 networks are springing up for free, from Maine to Seattle. Well, free as a few hundred bucks per node.

    So, inevitably, someone's figuring out how to make us pay 50-100 bucks a month for something we could have for free.

    Q: will this wonderful pay network interfere with the free radio nets?

    It makes me rather sad. I was hoping an alternative internet would be born in the airwaves without busybodies charging for it and guvmint trying to control it.

    Can't we have anything that big business players and government will keep their damned hands off?

    1. Re:This is good? by interstellar_donkey · · Score: 4, Insightful

      What will scare me is when big companies start taking up all the wireless 'channels'.

      I live on the edge of a pretty heavy commerical district. Company decides to set up a wireless lan on the channel I use for mine. There is really nothing I can do about it; either switch channels (despite the fact that I was there first) or keep using my channel and cause the potential for both our networks to interfere with each other. However, if my laptop happens to see some of thier network traffic as I walked from one end of the house to the other, somehow I'm a criminal.

      What I see in the future is, companys sets up nation-wide lan. Decide amoung themselves how to divy up the channels, get their lobbyists to go to congress and tell them 'We are running a business, there are private individuals who are broadcasting that interfere with our business'.

      Suddenly, my WAP is illegal. It interfers with a company, I get fined by the FCC.

      --
      The Internet is generally stupid