09-01-2004, 11:00 PM
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09-01-2004, 11:33 PM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 533
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Re: Philly To Cover 135sq Miles With WiFi Access
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
I'm looking for a realtor in Philly right now. :wink:
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:rotfl:
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09-01-2004, 11:48 PM
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09-02-2004, 12:15 AM
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Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,468
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"For about $10 million, city officials believe they can turn all 135 square miles of Philadelphia into the world's largest wireless Internet hot spot."
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I'm just waiting for the obligatory comment about how it's commie/socialist/anti-capitalist/unconstitutional/un-american - which is what usually happens when any US public body decides to do something this good and offer a cheap/free universal service...! :wink:
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09-02-2004, 12:22 AM
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Theorist
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 275
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Re: Philly To Cover 135sq Miles With WiFi Access
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Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
I'm looking for a realtor in Philly right now. :wink:
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My approach is to get that guy to go run for mayor in our city. Is it too late for him to apply for candidacy in this year's presidential election?
__________________
John Cruz
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09-02-2004, 12:26 AM
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Philosopher
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 559
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Geeze, Ed...you beat me to it. I was just heading over here to submit this story as news. But I'm glad it's up anyway. 
This is so amazingly cool, I can't express it with words. I live about half an hour outside the city but I bet I'll find myself making more and more trips in if this becomes a reality! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
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09-02-2004, 12:38 AM
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Swami
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,303
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Originally Posted by Ryan Joseph
Geeze, Ed...you beat me to it. I was just heading over here to submit this story as news. But I'm glad it's up anyway. |
:way to go: Good man Ryan.
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We like to say it should be like the air you breathe � free and available everywhere," Gonick said. "We look at this like PBS or NPR. It should be a public resource."
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So, all you need is the air that you breathe - and your Wifi. :lol:
Great idea though!
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09-02-2004, 05:01 AM
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,998
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Political posts split and moved here.
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09-02-2004, 06:25 AM
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Intellectual
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 146
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So are you saying that discussing the legality of this venture, by a government agency, is a "political" discussion? That question is very intrinsic to this conversation; it will determine a lot about the future of projects like this and the one in Grand Haven.
If governments get involved and give it away, then free enterprise will be thwarted from acquiring users. When government gives it away though, we all still pay. Worst of all, the people least likely to use it and who can least afford it also pay for it.
The spectre of government-funded and run systems like this is obviously anti-competitive. If you were considering spending millions/billions on a network but thought that at any moment your entire customer base could disappear, would you spend it?
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09-02-2004, 07:44 AM
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Ponderer
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 51
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Interesting idea and certainly holds possibilties for doing what a city government is supposed to do, providing essential services for its residents. In one respect this is not much different that a city building a public library or a swimming pool, however I think it would be reasonable to expect that they will place restrictions on the use of the service. Will not be able to access "adult" sites, file sharing, etc since it would reasonably be the appropriation of tax-payer money for illegal or improper usage. (Please no freedom of the internet lecture here, one can not go to the public library and check out the last copy of "Sex Monthly" either)
One thing must be remembered, it is not free. They are already mentioning that the estimate is USD 10M. There is an opportunity cost with this money if it does not generate income. Elsewhere USD 10M in city services would be cut.
Will be interesting to see how this develops.
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