The Museum of Science and The Boston Foundation are working with Tobin We hope the city is planning a massive giveaway of portable computers and Meanwhile, those of us who yearn to post from wherever inspiration In the past we have seen a fine and impressively outlaw war blogger’s The Dowbrigade believes that within our lifetime (and we are getting Some sort of free universal access to the rapidly evolving internet Most of the money will flow right back into The WAG<\/a> also have a very This is an idea whose time has definitely come. Tobin<\/a> reported There have already been partial efforts, with varying degrees of success, By far the most interesting angle of last Thursday’s visit from Boston City Councilor John Tobin to the Berkman Bloggers Meeting was the news (to us) that Boston is one of a handful of cities around the United States considering … Continue reading ![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/wifei.gif\")
By far the most interesting angle of last
\n Thursday’s visit<\/a> from Boston City Councilor John
\n Tobin <\/a>to the Berkman
\n Bloggers Meeting<\/a> was the news (to us) that Boston is one of a handful
\n of cities around the United States considering the installation of city-wide
\n Wi-Fi connectivity. <\/p>\n
\n on a feasibility study for free, city-wide access, Besides the obvious
\n (it would be vedy cool, it would attract tech companies and wired workers)
\n the project has legs because it “bridges the digital divide”. The idea
\n is that the homeless, shell-shocked, Desert Storm vet sleeping on a grate
\n behind the library will have the same access as Abbigale Johnson, the
\n richest
\n woman
\n in the United States, who happens to work nearby.<\/p>\n
\n\t\t wi-fi cards, or at least am interest-free "pay by the week" plan that
\n\t might pry a few of desperately poor and low-income workers away from
\n\t the scratch cards and onto online gambling.
\n\t\t No, forget that, this would merely divert the revenue stream away from
\n\t state coffers. We are trying to bring business INTO Boston, not drive
\n\t it away.<\/p>\n
\n\t or opportunity strikes have limited options, especially if we are unable
\n\t or unwilling to
\n\t\t pay usurious charges to get online (Starbucks slime). Here is a list
\n\t of free Wi-fi
\n\t hotspots<\/a> around the area, from the WAG
\n\t (wireless advocacy group)<\/a>, but
\n\t\t as you can see, it’s pretty skimpy.
\nThe WAG site<\/a> is worth a look-see, however.<\/p>\n
\n site where you could enter a zip code or address and see a real-time
\n map of all of the nodes in the area, represented as colored circles on
\n the map, with size representing strength, and color representing open,
\n closed, public,
\n etc.
\nUnfortunately, we can either not find the bookmark for this site or have decided
\nto refrain from posting the address from fear of hacker retribution. <\/p>\n
\n pretty old) we will see an ubiquitous, all encompassing internet, accessible
\n from
\n\t\t everywhere and offering everything (if one knows how to find and access
\n it). Some people will be on-line, with at least some part of their consciousness
\n ALL OF THE TIME. The questions of who will control access to this universal
\n net, and who will impose and collect the fees for installation and maintenance,
\n are the key issues of our times. Public or private? Low-level free access
\n and increasingly expensive tiers of ascending access? Pay-by=the-byte?
\n Pay-by-the minute? Pay by the service used? <\/p>\n
\n is inevitable and desirable. This is the Interstate Highway System
\n of our generation, and just as importance to the commerce and personal
\n lives of its citizens. It will entail a significant initial investment,
\n but barely a fraction of what has already been spent on Iraq. In fact,
\n all of the cities on the East Coast could be wired for wireless for less
\n than the cost of the Big Dig ($14 billion dollars and no end in sight).<\/p>\n
\n good old American high-tech companies,
\n and our competitive advantage would be protected for decades to come.
\n And whoever controls this "free, universal access" will have a vice
\n around the balls and necks of every
\n American
\n who uses it.<\/p>\n
\n interesting Wi-Fi poll<\/a> on their site<\/a>. Check
\n out
\n the results<\/a>,
\n so far. Can you identify which are the Dowbrigade’s
\n answers and comments? Interesting that although 94% of respondents used
\n the internet for email, 74% for news, 64% for shopping and 63% for research,
\n only 10.9% visited chat rooms and only 27% visited sports sites. Take
\n the poll – it only take five minutes and lots of people are entering
\n home bases outside the city of Boston. <\/p>\n
\n that in the three years he has been on the City Council this is the issue
\n that has generated the most interest, and from widely diverse sources. The
\n politician who succeeds in making this a reality will gain national prominence
\n and potential. <\/p>\n
\n in Long Beach, San Diego, Denver, and other smaller cities. Pittsburgh
\n is currently starting a more ambitious project, and is encountering some
\n problems. On this issue at least, we can wholeheartedly support John
\n Tobin and his vision of the future of Boston. Online, all the time,
\n everywhere.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"