Everybodysagenius’s Weblog

Hey Everybody,

Just wanted to share two stories that I recently read regarding free Wi-Fi access for Americans. If this comes about it will mean a big change for advertising and phone and internet access companies. The first story comes from CNN Money.comand it discusses three patents that Google applied for. Here is an excerpt.

SAN FRANCISCO (Business 2.0 Magazine) – More evidence has emerged that Google is getting ready to blanket the U.S. with free Wi-Fi, as Business 2.0senior writer Om Malik reported last year. Now, the company has filed for three patentsrelated to offering wireless Internet access. Search Engine Roundtable points out that the patents all have to do with serving up advertising through a wireless Internet connection maintained by a third party, whose brand Google would include in the presentation of those ads. Sounds a lot like Google’s latest plan to unwire San Francisco, where it has teamed up with EarthLink (Research). By teaming up with partners who would build the actual Wi-Fi infrastructure, Google (Research) could complete a nationwide Wi-Fi network much more quickly than if it had to build it itself.

The second story, which I just read this morning comes from MediaPost. It concern FCC regulations and the possibility of them loosening the reigns on the airwave space between the traditional channel signals. This is a real step forward I believe. Here is an excerpt:

Emancipation of the Web? FCC Considers Free Nationwide High–Speed Internet Service — But Big Wireless Carriers Would Take the Reins

Federal regulators may require the winner of airwaves being auctioned off by the government to provide free wireless high–speed Internet service across a large swath of the country. The Federal Communications Commission at its June 12 meeting will likely vote on an order setting terms of the spectrum auction that could include the free Internet service provision, the AP reports. A similar proposal was rejected last year.

Read the rest here on Bulldog Reporter. Traditional Media better watch out. If the Web is free and Mobile, it won’t take people long to realize that they don’t have to wait for 2 day old news in the print mediums. Also, watch out Comcast.

Thanks for reading,

William Flavell