When I think of wireless internet, I'm reminded of the various places I've sat, trying to crack into stranger's networks so I can justreallyquicklycheckmyemail. It's not that I'm a bad person - if you've been in a hotel with no ethernet cable, a new house and haven't yet sorted out your broadband or just somewhere away from your usual connection you'll probably have done the same thing.
Essentially, the phrase wireless internet does not invoke images of voluntary sharing.
But, if BT have their own way, We The Public could create the largest wireless network around. Power to the people, and all that.
Their concept involves everyone with a BT Home Hub giving up a little bit of their bandwidth to other Home Hub users. It's not compulsory, but if you do so, you'll have free access to other's Home Hub networks, as well as the existing BT OpenZone network. This is an important point, since whilst this idea could revolutionise browsing the internet in suburbia, BT Home Hubs are less of a given in city centers. Since this idea is being launched with the Spanish company FON, users will also have access to 190,000 existing FON hotspots worldwide.
Could this be the future? Could the future of the internet not be trying to prevent stealing of music, data and bandwidth, but actually be a kind of socialist utopia?
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Actually, FON has only 3500 hotspots and is on the verge of falling apart - the practical reality is that no-one wants to surf the net from the road outside a strange house in some suburban street.
Its completely unworkable, and is one of the best scams so far - BT are obviously hiring idiots to run their co.
Who is going to drive to '15 acacia avenue, in SuburbVille' to check email?
Its usually done over a coffee in Starbucks, etc.
message to UK - wake up and smell reality, the internet IS NOT the new Utopia and panacea for all ills - common sense might be though....
I have no probs making voip calls for free on my N95 sat in my local pub, or surfing or bidding on ebay whilst out and about.