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Verizon Pulling Plug on Free Wi-Fi in NYC

Posted by timothy on from the how-much-of-a-loss-is-that-really dept.

Cashen writes "'Verizon Communications Inc. is turning off the free wireless Internet access it beams from New York City telephone booths for DSL subscribers who use laptops away from home or the office.' Full article here. Is it just a coincidence Verizon is expanding its EV-DO in New York at the same time? Guess we have to pay to play now ... The real question is, when is EV-DO coming to Michigan?"

4 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. so people will just hack the corperate/Home AP... by johnjones · · Score: 3, Insightful

    people will just use the access points around...

    come on anyone who buys a router now gets wifi on it and they leave it open OR you just discover the keys and break in (yeah it takes a while but thats life)

    realistically wifi is here to stay and its kind of free (to those in the know)

    most of the students I know dont pay they just leach of others bandwidth or plug into uni...

    regards

    John Jones

  2. Let 'em do what they want... by Moofie · · Score: 4, Insightful

    with their own gear.

    As far as I'm concerned, if it's their stuff, it's their call. I DO have an issue with their lobbyists getting legislation passed that forbids other people from doing the same thing.

    Take your trucks and go home, Verizon. Leave my toys alone.

    --
    Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
  3. the key phrase in the article by danimrich · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The key phrase in the article is "better business model" = "way to make as much money as possible without being forced out of the market by competitors"

    --
    where's all that Karma?
  4. Re:so people will just hack the corperate/Home AP. by FriedTurkey · · Score: 4, Insightful

    come on anyone who buys a router now gets wifi on it and they leave it open OR you just discover the keys and break in (yeah it takes a while but thats life)

    Using an open access point is cool. I leave mine open and people are free to use it. Using a network that has keys on it is uncool. That is criminal because you actually are breaking into a system to use it. It is also stupid because most of closed networks are corporate network that have people monitoring them. There is enough open access points that spending the time breaking into a closed one is a waste of time anyway. I think most people breaking into closed networks do it more for the l33t factor despite being script kiddies.