The State of Urban Wireless

mcabiling writes "Julian Priest has released an excellent study on the development of wireless broadband in London. The study analyzes freenetworks versus commercial hotspot services and home wifi usage. The paper is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license so you can also pick up from there and cover your city. There is one for Paris in the works. Does anyone have any other similar studies of wireless cities ?"

Comments

I've got one!!

[ObsessiveMathsFreak]

Dublin, Ireland. Pop 1.3m

Free Hotspots: 0
Commercial Hotspots: ~10

Come to Ireland! Escape microwave cancer!
Oh wait..

Ireland pop ~4m. Mobile phones ~3.5m

In other words...

[Motherfucking Shit]

The paper is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license so you can also pick up from there and cover your city.

In other words, mi CCASA es su CCASA?

Google Cache

[zgornz]

Google Cache
/.'ed already!? *Sigh* Why doesn't slashdot mirror what it posts...

Article: "Skeptics Question Wi-Fi's Viability"

[G4from128k]

An associated Press article questions the commercial viability of WiFi in the U.S. Said one company that recently left the business after building only one hot spot, "Management believes that only Wi-Fi equipment manufacturers are currently successful in generating profits in the Wi-Fi industry, and service providers have yet to develop a profitable business model," With the ubiquity of computers in business, the modest price of broadband, and the very low price of WAPs, it seems that more people and businesses are simply giving WiFi away, leaving service providers with no profits.

NYC Wireless

[mojoNYC]

i can't say enough good things about http://NYCwireless.org these guys have done an amazing job at building up a free as in beer wireless network all around New York City--take a look at the coverage map...Starbucks? hah!

WiFi and Property rights

[G4from128k]

The June 8,2004, Wall Street Journal carried an article on "Airports Clash With Airlines Over Wi-Fi"(sorry, I don't have a link). Airlines want to use Wifi for both customer lounges and for wireless IT services -- think wireless data terminals for scanning and tracking baggage. But the airport terminal operators claim they own the airwaves and have the right control and sell wifi access.

This could impact regulation of WiFi in the U.S. As the article pointed out: If the FCC takes action, it could have broader implications for Wi-Fi's dissemination. That's because the airlines are asking the FCC a crucial question: whether a landlord has the right to bar tenants from setting up individual Wi-Fi networks. "This is about landlord-tenant rights and whether a landlord can dictate to a tenant how you use unlicensed frequencies," says Laura Smith, president of the Industrial Telecommunications Association, which has asked the FCC for guidance on behalf of the airlines.

I wonder if other building owners will outlaw tenant's wifi setups in favor of selling access to a landowner-run wifi networ.