Cerebral Shangrila

Sunday, October 02, 2005

Google proposes free Wi-Fi for San Francisco

This is unbelievable but might become true. Reuters reports that Google has proposed to provide free wireless Internet services across the city of San Francisco.

The Web search company said it has responded to a request for information by the City of San Francisco to test local Internet services via Wi-Fi, the short-range wireless technology built into most new laptop computers."Google has submitted a proposal to offer free, wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi) to the entire city of San Francisco," Google said in a statement.The Wi-Fi access could be funded through online advertising, a Google spokesman said.

The service aims to test a range of new services and applications around the hilly city, which is home to more than 700,000 residents.Offering free wireless communications could thrust Google into competition with entrenched local suppliers of broadband Internet access, including telephone network SBC Communications and local cable operator Comcast.The company began sponsoring a Wi-Fi "hotspot" in a downtown San Francisco shopping district in April, working with a start-up outfit called Feeva.

Having worked in downtown San Francisco for almost a year, I sure wish I was back there.

8 Comments:

  • I knew this would come. Business week had an article I think last month. Google is a great company and so is the city of SFO.

    I wish someone does it for Chennai.!!

    By Blogger Narayanan Venkitu, at 1:54 PM  

  • lucky people... those in SF area.

    enjoy the freebies..

    By Blogger Ram C, at 9:23 AM  

  • Cogito,
    Isn't it pretty much the same for you at NTU as well? :)

    By Blogger Dinesh, at 3:22 PM  

  • google is going in for the kill...
    first they provide content..now their bid is control the channels as well...interesting..quest for complete dominance.
    cheers!

    By Blogger Abhishek Chatterjee, at 6:17 PM  

  • stop surfing and get a life ;-)

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 10:46 PM  

  • I am not sure what regulatory and compliance hurdles that they might run into? What about privacy? Since it is free, does Google have a Carte Blanhe to collect personal information? How about hackers and other nefarious elements?

    The thought is very interesting though.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:35 AM  

  • I am not too sure...but surprising as it may sound...just a couple of weeks back, I heard that someone did it at Mysore as well!!

    By Blogger Ram, at 2:11 AM  

  • Venkitu -- There might be a future where net access is a commodity like electricity ..

    ram.c -- SFO is also one of the geekiest places.

    dinesh -- but we kind of pay for that with our tuition fees !

    abhi -- good observation..channels control access and guide users to content ..

    swami -- yeah the local cable cos might file a law suit or so..the wireless security is an evoloving field and google might do some M&A in that space..

    ram -- Mysore ! entire city ? Interesting...

    By Blogger Cogito, at 10:57 AM  

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