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Verizon Pulling Plug on Free Wi-Fi in NYC

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?"

8 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. 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!
  2. 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?
  3. Confused .... by quick2think · · Score: 5, Funny

    How do you pull the plug on wireless?

  4. Re:so people will just hack the corperate/Home AP. by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 4, Funny

    Get yourself down Starbucks - coffee and WiFi!

    Well, at least WiFi...

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  5. Re:When am I going to get free wireless? by dawnread · · Score: 5, Funny
    I live in Alabama, you insensitive clod!

    And you have the internet now? ;)

  6. 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.

  7. Re:Free Community WiFi by Chess_the_cat · · Score: 4, Funny
    This will create a new, distributed, and more redundant internet infrastructor and make the provider model obsolete.

    Infrastructor was my favorite Transformer. He ruled.

    --
    Support the First Amendment. Read at -1
  8. Re:WiFi runs on unlicensed spectrum by SilentSage · · Score: 4, Informative

    I am a technical support coordinator for Verizon wireless. I can tell you that EV-DO uses a CDMA cellular signal for the entire EV-DO capable part of the Verizon network. CDMA networks operate at either 800 or 1900 mhz which is HIGHLY regulated (and costly) spectrum. EV-DO is not an 802.11 technology from our end but as with most ISP's what you do with your bandwidth once you get it is up to you. You can set it up with a Wi-Fi router on your end but then as with anything else you are responsible for the security of the network that you set up.