Category: Community

Philadelphia is debating making all 134 square miles of the city the world's largest wireless hot spot. Boston, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles and other cities are considering parallel moves. In Europe, the firm HotSpot Amsterdam is set to go citywide in the Dutch capital soon. Via [chron.com]

Walla Walla County is better known for wheat fields than Wi-Fi. But a small community-owned utility in this agriculture-dependent region has constructed one of the largest wireless Internet networks in rural America, rolling out high-speed connections across about 1,500 square miles. Via [seattlepi.nwsource.com]

The grand city of Philadelphia unveiled today an ambitious plan to coat the city with Wi-Fi, using a mix of public and private funds to provide the service. Via [theregister.co.uk]

Wi-Fi equipment developer Sputnik is providing software and hardware to SoCalFreeNet, a group of 802.11 enthusiasts planning to blanket San Diego, Calif. with free wireless access. Via [wi-fiplanet.com]

Technologies that extend the range of Wi-Fi wireless LANs are making that low-priced technology an option for broadband Internet access in U.S. rural areas with limited broadband options. Via [infoworld.com]

This weekend, community wireless network developers and technology experts from across the country plan to gather here for the first National Summit of Community Wireless Networks to share their ideas and plot strategy. Via [miami.com]

Borrowing a neighbor's unsecured Wi-Fi signal could be against the law. Or it might be legal. The law is unclear, said cyberlawyer Mark Rasch. Via [internetweek.com]

Mobile warriors having trouble making a wireless connection across the hall might want to give some Ohio teens a call. This weekend they were able to make a 55-mile Wi-Fi connection. Via [wired.com]

This week, the Lake Michigan resort community of Grand Haven became the first place in the United States to offer broadband Internet access via Wi-Fi citywide. Every part of the 6-square-mile city, plus 15 miles out into the big lake, is now covered by wireless Internet. Via [freep.com]

Mobile workers in the main business area of Paris will soon be able to get free high-speed Internet connectivity on the move. Via [news.zdnet.co.uk]

Tom Russell, who helped his sister and his mother piggyback on their neighbors' WiFi high-speed Internet access, said the setup procedure is relatively simple, although it may take some patience. All you need is a wireless network adapter for your computer, which can cost between $35 and $80. Some laptops come fully equipped to access...

Like a Robin Hood of the Internet age, Carrie Russell of South Boston takes bandwidth from the rich (neighbors who have wireless high-speed Internet connections) and uses it herself to surf for free. Via [boston.com]

From fancy hotels to fast-food joints, the number of venues offering high-speed wireless Internet access is expected to grow at a heady clip this year. But industry analysts aren't expecting laptop users and their credit cards to follow. Via [wired.com]

Free Wi-Fi service is proliferating, and it shows up sometimes in strange places. Via [computerworld.com]

Cometa Networks' announcement that it is suspending operations has its former clients—and the providers who court their business—scrambling to pick up the service. Via [eweek.com]