Cerritos, California to Offer Wireless Web for All

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/12/11/sprj.ws.wifi.city.ap/index.html' target='_blank'>http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/12/11/sprj.ws.wifi.city.ap/index.html</a><br /><br /></div>"The first phase of a project to establish citywide wireless Internet access is slated to begin next month. Ultimately, anyone with a laptop or wireless device will be able to surf the Web from virtually anywhere in the city's 8.6-square-mile (22-square-kilometer) area. Scores of wireless networking transmitters are being placed atop public buildings, traffic lights and other structures to blanket the city. The project is being touted by Aiirnet Wireless, its operator, as the largest wireless networking, or Wi-Fi, deployment in the nation."<br /><br />Wow. 8O The implications for this are huge - what will it do to ISPs in the area, both dial-up and broadband? What about security if everyone is on the same wireless network? Will people use this for their desktop PCs as well? So many questions, but I applaud the boldness of this move. Taking this a step further, what would happen if your local city decided that Internet access was a public service and you could get unlimited access as part of paying your local taxes?<br /><br />All of a sudden having a Smartphone with WiFi capabilities seems more more useful, doesn't it? :D

[David C]

This would be so cool with VOIP on a PDA. I won't even need cell phones anymore if I'm not planing on going outside of the city.

[swbuehler]

All of a sudden having a Smartphone with WiFi capabilities seems more more useful, doesn't it? :D

I sat in on a Microsoft developer teleconference last week on developing for mobile platforms (including SmartPhone) and there was one reason given why the SmartPhone platform does not include Wi-Fi: battery life. Apparenly unlike a GPRS or CDPD radio signal, the power consumption required for wi-fi (especially if it's using an external interface such as an SDIO slot or other transmitter not built into the phone) will suck a cell phone battery dry very quickly.

Also, having wi-fi on your cell phone defeats the purpose of having GPRS in the first place, even though wi-fi is definitely much faster than GPRS (at least here in the U.S.).

If you want wi-fi on a phone with decent battery life, a Pocket PC Phone Edition is much better suited than a SmartPhone.