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Free Nationwide Wireless Internet Access?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the large-undertakings dept.

LiquidEdge writes "ISP-Planet is reporting that startup M2Z wants to offer 95% of America free wireless Internet access using the 20Mhz frequency allocation. They're backed by Kleiner Perkins, one of the most successful VC firms in history, and being started by the guy who built the @Home network and a former FCC Wireless Bureau Chief. 384/128 speeds will be free and they'll sell the higher speeds and the government will get a kickback of the revenue."

21 of 350 comments (clear)

  1. Sounds like a dot com idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Seriously. They'll make up for it on volume.

    1. Re:Sounds like a dot com idea by Pope · · Score: 2, Funny

      Ah, yes, I remember the very successful @Home network, the one that tanked, bleeding money from every orifice. Sounds like a sure-fire winner!

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    2. Re:Sounds like a dot com idea by smackt4rd · · Score: 2, Funny

      I heard they're going to get $1 for every brain tumor.

  2. Re:I'm confused. by AKAImBatman · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm confused.

    No wonder you're confused. You've gone from "not reading the article" to "not even reading the summary"! News these days will soon be nothing more than a cheap headline! BWHAHAHA!

    Hint: If you want more bandwidth than the default (e.g. enough to watch internet television on the go), you'll need to pay.

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  3. There's already a free nationwide wireless ISP by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's apparently called "linksys"

  4. Hmmm... by lorcha · · Score: 2, Funny

    Looks like isp-planet.com should have paid for the faster link!

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  5. Like getting the Three Stooges to do your plumbing by Rob+T+Firefly · · Score: 3, Funny
    They're backed by Kleiner Perkins, one of the most successful VC firms in history

    Oh, that's good.

    and being started by the guy who built the @Home network and a former FCC Wireless Bureau Chief.

    Oh, that's bad.

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  6. Re:95 percent? by digitaldc · · Score: 5, Funny

    So, will this be 95% of the population of the U.S., or 95% of the geographical area?

    It will work in all areas except the ones we live in. There it will be $59.99 a month for AOL Dial-up access.

    --
    He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
  7. Um Excuse me? by Mantrid · · Score: 5, Funny

    Um, the 1990's called, they want their business model back!

  8. Re:Not if the Cell Companies... by thedletterman · · Score: 4, Funny

    Actually, you would probably wnt to call l33tdude.mobi

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  9. But... by Instine · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...will I be able to use it in my flying car?

    --
    Because you can - or because you should?
  10. Re:Not if the Cell Companies... by natedubbya · · Score: 3, Funny
    but can we really expect to get there without interference?

    No pun intended.

  11. I for one... by soft_guy · · Score: 2, Funny

    I for one would like to welcome our new free wireless overlords. May death come quickly to their enemies!

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    Avoid Missing Ball for High Score
  12. Re:How do we make money? by MobyDisk · · Score: 2, Funny
    Free internet access. How do we make money? Volume.
    That's genius! You can get a quiet phone call for free, but normal phone calls would cost 1 cent per minute, and loud phone calls 2 cents per minute. If you want speaker phone, that's 3 cents per minute, or 1 center per minute per person within audio range.
  13. Re:20 MHz *Bandwidth*, not Frequency by dubbreak · · Score: 4, Funny

    I read it as "20Hz" the first time and was thinking "All our bass belong to M2Z".

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  14. Re:Like getting the Three Stooges to do your plumb by ichigo+2.0 · · Score: 2, Funny

    He built what? Dude, if this guy can build his own FCC Wireless Bureau Chief, he can do anything. --Joe

    I know this is Slashdot, but that isn't as difficult as you make it sound. ;)

  15. AT&T/NSA offer free/unlimited e-mail & P2P by CranberryKing · · Score: 2, Funny

    Just register with your address and valid SSN. And photo.

  16. Re:My experience: ~550kb or 120kb by nasch · · Score: 2, Funny
    Bad idea. Bad cost, and the 95% is a pipe dream-- a pipe full of drugs.
    Glad you cleared that up, I had no idea what kind of pipe you were talking about. Oh, and please adjust your sarcasm meter and re-read my comment.
  17. Re:poles or buried by dgatwood · · Score: 3, Funny
    The real problem with buried cables is freezing.

    Oh, yeah, and backhoes. Forgot about those. :-D

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  18. Re:I'm confused. by kenj0418 · · Score: 3, Funny

    The missing step 2 can be found in appendix 3 of their proposal "M2Z'S COMMITMENT TO PROTECT MINORS...".

    Unfiltered sites are free. Porn costs extra.

    So their business plan must be:

    1. Give away free broadband access
    2. Charge for porn
    3. Profit

    kenj0418
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  19. Re:A common conversation by bmalia · · Score: 2, Funny

    My girlfriends sister told me that cable internet sucks, because it only works when the neighbors internet is on too.

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