Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Google Plans to Offer Free WiFi in San Francisco

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the google-google-everywhere dept.

jacksonwest writes "What's been rumored for some time has now been confirmed -- Google has made a bid in response to Mayor Gavin Newsom's request for information. The details of the bid include citywide access, for free, at 300kbps. The plans dovetail into their location-based advertising and services strategy, and come on the heels of their recent VPN service rollout."

11 of 170 comments (clear)

  1. Doesn't SF already have enough free WiFi? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Come on... share it! People in DC need free WiFi, too!

  2. They're in for it now by metternich · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Big telecoms have a lot of political influence. Watch this to be denounced as unfair competition, Communist, unamerican, etc. Followed by FCC rules or laws prohibiting it.

    --
    Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
    1. Re:They're in for it now by scenestar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Telecom companies managed to stop MUNICIPAL wifi.

      With google being a company there is no "tax payer's money" involved.

      The only thing the Telecom companies can do is sue google for "dumping" their products.

      --
      perpetually dwelling in the -1 pits
  3. There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch by slavemowgli · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And what does "location-based advertising and services" mean in reality? Free wifi is good, of course, but TNSTAAFL. Can I rely on my traffic not being inspected/recorded by anyone with this offer?

    --
    quidquid latine dictum sit altum videtur.
    1. Re:There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch by Dr.+Spork · · Score: 4, Funny

      Folding tinfoil hats? Gah, I though everybody knew you just tear off a strip of tinfoil slightly longer than the circumference of your head, wrap it around, and smush it down into a sleek (though crinckly) helmet-like shape. Smush, I said. Not fold. Why in the world would you say "fold"? Ah, unless you're FROM THE GOVERNMENT, trying to subtly undermine the effectiveness of our improvised protection systems!

    2. Re:There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch by rtaylor · · Score: 4, Funny

      Smush? Smush? Are you crazy? Do you know what kind of a radar signature a smushed tinfoil hat has? They'll see you from miles away!

      A properly made tinfoil hat will bounce the brainscanning waves (and radar waves) at odd angles which would not send the signal back to the sender. Nice clean folds. They chould be straight enough that the foil does not touch the head in all locations.

      regards,
          Agent Watson
          BSD (Brain Scan Department)

      --
      Rod Taylor
  4. Free (Legal) WiFi by Bob54321 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I get free wifi too. My neighbor doesn't secure his connection... its a bit low on signal strength though. Hopefully Google provide me with a better solution soon!

    --
    :(){ :|:& };:
  5. Re:How Long by loconet · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The same thing is said every time Google releases a new service and I have yet to see a serious abuse from them.

    --
    [alk]
  6. Re:tremble moneymakers by LordKaT · · Score: 4, Insightful
    What's the angle? Have you not been keeping track of what exactly Google is?

    Google is, first and foremost, an advertising company. They are going to offer "service and location based" advertising with the free Wi-Fi.

    This is just another service built on top of their advertising network.

    Almost everything Google does is built on top of their advertising network.

    What's in it for Google? A few million people being forced to see the Google Ads.

    That's not a bad thing, in my opinion. A few ads for 300kbs wireless Internet connectivity in the United States? Sign me up.

    Keep in mind that this is not like NetZero:

    NetZero was trying to build an ISP out of Ad revenue. Google is trying to enhance their advertising network by offering an ISP.

    The ISP side of Google can simply be a loss leader in order to obtain a wider understanding of their audience. Hey, it adds a ton value to AdWords, which means they can charge a premium for that service over Yahoo! or MSN, and still remain a dominant force in that market.

    If they roll this out nation-wide, this is going to make Google a ton of money.

  7. port 80 restrictions? by matt+me · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I hope Google would be better, but does anyone know if they plan to restrict access to port 80 only, like some other "free" (strange definition) wi-fi. That would mean the only internet applications that work would be web browsers. You wouldn't be able to send/check email, unless, you were using a webmail service, such as... GMail! Similarly, IM, p2p and everything else that isn't on :80, although many apps can get through firewalls, they lose speed.

  8. Re:Location based Ad? by YrWrstNtmr · · Score: 4, Informative
    Don't need to monitor 'your' connection. Simply pump out ads based on access point.

    Access point X uses ads A, B, & C. Access point Y uses ads D, E, & F.

    They could also cross reference your Gmail ad hits with the WiFi access point you happpened to be connected to, and show you an ad for this tire shop, or that coffee house.

    Don't have to do much more than they already are.