Google to Offer Free Wi-Fi?

meaning writes "Business 2.0 reports on the possibility of Google building a national broadband network and giving Wi-Fi access to everyone in America. From the article: 'So once the GoogleNet is built, how would consumers connect for free access? One of the cheapest ways would be for Google to blanket major cities with Wi-Fi, and evidence gathered by Business 2.0 suggests that the company may be trying to do just that. In April it launched a Google-sponsored Wi-Fi hotspot in San Francisco's Union Square shopping district, built by a local startup called Feeva. Feeva is reportedly readying more free hotspots in California, Florida, New York, and Washington, and it's possible that Google may be involved.'"

Comments

Also in New York City (Bryant Park)

[GillBates0]

Wifi access in NYC's Bryant Park is sponsored by Google. From the official park webpage:

Special Thanks To
The Bryant Park Wireless Network is proudly sponsored by Google.

Why do I RTFA?

[Mostly a lurker]

Google has to pay as much as $60 per megabit in IP transit fees.

How do we interpret this nonsense? Taken literally, it would mean that every 100KB mail you read on Gmail costs Google $60. Lol. The most likely interpretation, I suppose, is that Google pays $60 per month for every decicated 1Mbit per second between the Internet backbone and their servers. This would be a bit high for an individual and Google, with its immense purchasing power, must do better than that. Otoh, $60 per year for 1Mbit per second dedicated seems too low. Guess I should just follow standard ./ practice and ignore TFA: basing my understanding on the article's headline.

Re:Idiots With Columns

[darkov]

I quite agree. I've just registered crazygooglerumors.com and am taking submissions for piss-takes, just post them as a reply and I will be in touch.

try http://wifi.google.com

[Anonymous Coward]

i'm getting this:
"Server Error
The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request.

Please try again in 30 seconds. "

Re:Makes sense

[Brian Stretch]

Imagine having to view a short ad before full access is granted

No need. Google's existing ad system is a cash cow already. Getting more people online means more people stumbling across their ads means more $, and if there's a direct path from their ad servers to the enduser, so much the better.

They could make those ads a bit more targeted with an authentication system. Login with your GMail account before proceeding? Would you like to do a Google search while you're at it? Maybe make the bandwidth limits for nonauthenticated users a bit tighter (64Kbps?) instead so software other than web browsers can use the service prior to the user firing up a browser. Maybe that's what you had in mind, now that I reread your message.

Upping the bandwidth limits for paying users is probably a given.

Of course, the whole idea of a nationwide Google WiFi system is probably someone's hallucination anyhow. WiFi is too short range and WiMAX is vaporware until I see a finished working system.

Re:America?? You mean USA!

[aywwts4]

Uh, I would call that "The Americas" Plural...

Ever get to that point where you have seen a word so many times it begins to stop looking like a word, Or at the very least, looks spelled incorrectly?

Re:America?? You mean USA!

[switcha]

By that logic South Africa could be referred to as Africa.

No, your example sucks. Just like there is no country of South America, there is no country called Africa. Shortening the United States of America to America doesn't lead to confusion with a continent.

Maybe the original ranter would like it more if when referring to North and South America, people just said the Americas. I'm fine with that. North, Central and South, all in one tidy name.

Interference?

[Elequin]

I am, of course, assuming that they would use 802.11.

How would they get around the problem of interference? I work for a small wireless ISP, and we have enough problems with interference in very small towns. I can't imagine dealing with the amount of interference in a large city.

Of course, I don't know how Ricochet was able to do it using just unlicensed frequencies, so I guess with enough money and the right technology it could be done. However, didn't Ricochet use proprietary client hardware?

Re:America?? You mean USA!

[Surye]

You mean Nipponjin, not "niponese" right? And even there it's not rock solid. In almost all casual situations, it's Nihon, not Nippon. And how many Germans in Germany do you know call it Germany?

Re:Better than the other guys

[Anonymous Coward]

So, if you run *ix, install a caching DNS on localhost.

If you run Windows, do as I did, install TWDNS (www.ntcanuck.com) for the same functionality, as I did when my provider had DNS issues.

How will the phone companies respond?

[RotateLeftByte]

Thats easy.
1) Buy a few Senators
2) Buy some more Congressmen
3) Continue campaign to outlaw public wifi
4) Buy lots of lawyers
5) Patent the air we breathe and a method of transmitting data through it (f**k marconi etc)
6) Buy/Bribe a President or two
7) Sit back and go down with the titanic

The only Phone Co to survive would the the one that got into bed with Google and did the deal to be the carrier of choice.