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European Union Will Fund Public Wifi (axios.com)

Posted by msmash on from the connectivity-for-all dept.

An anonymous reader writes: The European Union is moving towards getting free public wifi into unconnected locations around the bloc. A new agreement will provide 120 million euros to "fund equipment for public free Wi-Fi services in 6,000 to 8,000 municipalities" across the E.U.

11 of 65 comments (clear)

  1. Starry-eyed idea by Calydor · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Funding hasn't been secured for this, just to start somewhere.

    What kind of speeds are we talking? What kind of data caps? If it's like my current mobile data plan in Germany, 500 MB per month is nothing on today's internet. May as well go without entirely.

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    -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
  2. Re:How do you plan to pay for this? by mrclevesque · · Score: 2

    "The free market could decide this for itself,"

    The 'free market' doesn't exist in that sense, markets are always run according to various sets of rules.

  3. Duh. Can't spy on them if they're not connected. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    We've hit the point where the (depressingly high) percentage of the western world that's willing and able to pay for the privilege of being tracked 24/7 has already done so, so now it's time to pick up the stragglers by giving it away for free. The ones who still refuse will eventually be forced in as it gets increasingly difficult to participate in the modern world without internet access.

  4. Re:How do you plan to pay for this? by SpankiMonki · · Score: 2

    Look at us now. The Federal government has all the power and the state governments are a joke.

    Hold on there, pardner. I live in Texas and I can assure you that our state government is not a jo...oh wait

  5. then the wifi allergy by Cryofan · · Score: 2, Interesting

    back a few years ago when it looked like maybe there might be a wireless alternative to comcast time warner, there was a sudden explosion of people and nonprofit organizations claiming that there were many people suffering from wifi sensitivity...I believe that these were bogus claims being backed by money from comcast, time warner etc...watch for wifi allergy complaints to make a comeback if this idea takes off

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    eat shiat and bark at the moon
    1. Re:then the wifi allergy by Obfuscant · · Score: 2

      back a few years ago when it looked like maybe there might be a wireless alternative to comcast time warner,

      Might be? We've had wireless internet in this area for a decade now at least. I'd say there can be a wireless alternative, if only someone thought there would be profit in providing it.

      And don't get me started on how useless the local uni has made the 2.4G band by blanketing campus in WiFi nodes. It's so bad that you can find places where you can't use a bluetooth headset and the headset is 6 inches from the device.

      wifi sensitivity...I believe that these were bogus claims being backed by money from comcast, time warner etc.

      It's fun to spread conspiracy theories, but don't discount the dumb factor and fear of the unknown. Comcast has nothing to gain from panic over wireless electric meters, yet there is a public backlash against them based on "wireless sensitivity" and "cancer" and "boogeyman".

    2. Re:then the wifi allergy by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      watch for wifi allergy complaints to make a comeback if this idea takes off

      This is the EU, not the USA. We actually have mental health care here.

  6. Re:How do you plan to pay for this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    In the US the 'free market' has created entrenched players who can stifle any advancement to suit their own profits

    the free market is way too oversold, I would love to have some socialism driving the development of new technology

  7. Re:What about cellular carriers? by Obfuscant · · Score: 2

    Fellow Americans can get a taste of the "free" government-provided WiFi by buying an Amtrak ticket and trying to use Amtrak's WiFi during their trip...

    Amtrak is quite up-front about the limits on the WiFi they provide and why. They aren't intending to be a full service ISP.

  8. Re: How do you plan to pay for this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Dummies who cry free market about these things forget about natural monopolies. We used to understand that you had to regulate natural monopolies, but now we are too stupid to understand that certain businesses aren't really good candidates for the free market with telecom and the internet perfect examples of businesses that should be regulated monopolies

  9. Re:How do you plan to pay for this? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Subnationalizing the states was the price of freedom from slavery and disagreeing is a hate crime.

    And I will disagree. Slavery was already dying. Whites enslaving blacks was the final breath of slavery and a short part of overall slavery. Most of the racial problems we have today are because of the last 200 years of slavery where slave traders tried to make people think blacks were inferior to whites to try to keep slavery from fully dying. Before that any race could be a slave owner and any race could be a slave. Racism only became a part of slavery at the tail end of slavery when it was already on it's way out.

    p.s. A good book to read about slavery and racism is "Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry". It not only explains the root of whites enslaving blacks but it also shows what real racism looks like.