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WiFi Hotspots to Cost Wireless Carriers $12B

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the thats-a-lotta-bits dept.

j.e. writes "Commercial WiFi hotspots and open WiFi networks will take about $12 billion out of wireless carrier revenue pie, says Starategy Analytics. With high prices of mobile data services from wireless carriers, the users are more prone to use a cheap WiFi connection, if one is available."

11 of 222 comments (clear)

  1. In other news by Danimoth · · Score: 5, Funny

    things cost money...

    --
    No smoking sigs indoors.
    1. Re:In other news by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Tap water costs the bottled water industry billions.

      --
      "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
      --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
    2. Re:In other news by drooling-dog · · Score: 5, Funny
      when given a choice between otherwise highly similar products, consumers will choose to pay less money

      Obviously said by someone who hasn't met my girlfriend...

  2. Statistics Bullshit by Oculus+Habent · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This sounds like crap statistics if I've ever heard them. Cost $12 billion is a little different than "Won't make $12 billion because the services are overpriced."

    --
    That what was all this school was for... to teach us how to solve our own problems. -- janeowit
  3. This is step 1 by ENOENT · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Step 2 is getting laws against free WiFi accessed passed in Congress.

    Hey, it worked for the RIAA!!!

    --
    That's "Mr. Soulless Automaton" to you, Bub.
  4. wireless overpriced by dslbrian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Poster forgot some words, it should read:

    With the artificially inflated exorbitantly high prices of mobile data services from wireless carriers, the users are more prone to use a cheap WiFi connection, if one is available.

    No sympathy for wireless carriers here, now they get to suffer for their own bad pricing plans...

  5. *vroom* by Willow_mt · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm getting the sudden urge to go wardriving...

  6. What about me? by tyler_larson · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've already lost trillions on my canned-air venture this year alone. I figured that, as vital as breathing air is, people would be willing to pay my reasonable rate of $200 per cubic foot.

    Apparently there's a free alternative that people are taking advantage of, driving my company out of business. How can I undersell free? Better label those free-breathers out there as "air pirates" and start a "get the facts" campaign about the total-cost-of-breathing.

    --
    "With sufficient thrust, pigs fly just fine. However, this is not necessarily a good idea...."
    RFC 1925
    1. Re:What about me? by MAdMaxOr · · Score: 5, Funny

      1/2 liter per breath
      = 0.017657 cu. ft. / breath
      = $3.5314 / breath
      = $42.4 / person /minute
      = $22,273,246 person / year
      = $1.56 * 10^17 / planet / year

      Looks like you lost about 156 quadrillion dollars!

  7. Moderate Insightful by Blackbrain · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This should be +5 insightful, not funny. It is only a matter of time before some "media friendly" senator attaches a rider to an education package that bans open WiFi access. Or more likely, a Homeland Security bill because Terroists might use open WiFi links in an attack.

    --
    Where would we be if Wheel had hid her round rock in a cave instead of showing everyone how it rolls?
  8. Misleading title by argent · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Should read, "WiFi to save wireless users $12B", or "WiFi to get up to $12B slice of wireless pie".

    Not making as much revenue as predicted is not a "cost".