Advertisement

WiFi America

24:42
Download Audio
Resume
photoThere's revolution in the air, at least in some cities: more and more of them are moving to set up systems that would let all their residents access the Internet without wires and for very little money or even for free.

Most of us think of wireless Internet access as a luxury but cities say it's not and municipal wireless could change a lot for consumers. For example, cheap easy internet access could become the preferred way for consumers to make phone calls so they would bypass traditional telephone companies.

What happens to the telephone companies? And what about the companies pushing to be in the middle of this new consumer access? Google is proposing to provide free, wireless high-speed access in San Francisco. Is Google growing too big and too powerful?

Hear about the revolution in wireless Internet access in America's cities.

Guests:

Jesse Drucker, reporter, Wall Street Journal

John Batelle, author of "The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture"

Dianah Neff, Chair of the Executive Committee of Wireless Philadelphia

Ellen Daley, Principal Analyst for Wireless and Telecoms, Forrester Research.

This program aired on October 6, 2005.

Advertisement

More from On Point

Listen Live
Close