Gizmodo: free wifi

MPAA Shuts Down Entire Town's Wi-Fi Over Single Illegal Download

Kyle VanHemert — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

The citizens of Coshocton, Ohio are without their free Internet after a single download prompted the Motion Picture Association of America to shut down the town's municipal Wi-Fi network.

This is by no means the first time the MPAA has stepped on the little guy in their crusade to eradicate piracy, but it is a particularly egregious instance of it. The free Wi-Fi network in Coshocton, Ohio supported anywhere from "a dozen people a day to 100 during busy times," all of whom are left without Internet after the shut down. As nations like Finland move to make broadband access a legal right, it is unfortunately clear that some powerful people in our country still consider it a privilege and not a necessity.

Let this be a lesson to those who not only enjoy but depend on free Wi-Fi networks. Enjoy it while it lasts, because if Dennis the Menace down the block can't wait for Transformers 3 to come out on DVD, you might be out a connection. [Via BoingBoing]

Beijing to be World's Largest Wi-Fi City in 2011

Elaine Chow — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 01:05:00 EST

Beijing may become the world's largest city to be blanketed in free wi-fi by 2011. Officials, happy with an Olympics test run, are now rolling it out to everywhere. Watch for censor ganking though. [Danwei]

Meraki's Solar Powered Wi-Fi Repeater Finally Shipping in December

Jason Chen — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:08:02 EST

We first wrote about Meraki and their solar-powered Wi-Fi repeater back in mid '07, but they're finally getting ready to ship these next month. According to Cleantechnica, it's going to be $749 if you have your own solar panel, which then balloons up to $1499 for "larger units". The main idea that Meraki is going after is "getting internet access to everyone", so powering these units off of el sol is a good idea.

City planners can deploy these in parks, or really rich people can deploy these all over their multi-acre ranches so they can torrent anywhere. If Michael Jackson still had Neverland, he'd be all up in this solar action. [Meraki via Cleantechnica via Treehugger]

Do You Want Wi-Fi with That? Zune Users Get Free Net Access at McDonalds

Kit Eaton — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 08:10:00 EDT

Zune owners are getting free Wi-Fi access at McDonalds, as well as the 3.0 software today. It's using the Wayport Wi-Fi system at about 10,000 stores, and as a Wayport spokesman puts it, it lets them "attract new customers whose digital lifestyle extends beyond their home and office." Yep, out of the home and office...and into the burger joint. Great if you've got a Zune, and were jealous of the Starbucks/Apple Wi-Fi tie-up (which, and it may be just me, is a far "classier" deal, no?) [Zuneboards. Thanks Joel!]

AT&T's Free Wi-Fi Hotspots for iPhones Now Online for Real

Kit Eaton — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:02:00 EDT

It's been a saga of the on again, off again, on again, off again type, but it looks like AT&T's free Wi-Fi hotspot access is live at last. 17,000 sites across the US are available to iPhone users, including the fabled Starbucks sites. According to AT&T's website, which also offers a hotspot locator tool, AT&T knows "Wi-Fi is hot, and free Wi-Fi even hotter, which is why we are proud to offer iPhone customers free access to the nation's largest Wi-Fi hotspot network." Interesting... after all the shenanigans, it looks more like AT&T thinks Wi-Fi is just "lukewarm", or maybe "tepid." But at least it's finally come good. UPDATE: Well it looks like Wi-Fi isn't here quite yet. AT&T posted the info by accident and made a fail. [AT&T via MacRumors]

FCC Planning New Spectrum Auction With Free Broadband for All

Elaine Chow — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:30:00 EDT

It looks like the FCC is taking up Congresswoman Anna Eshoo's dopey scheme to deliver internet to the masses with another spectrum auction that would require the winner to offer free broadband to half of the US within four years, and 95 percent sometime after that. A nearly impossible task, on top of being silly in the first place, so don't expect anyone to volunteer to pay for the privilege. There's no set date for this proposed auction of 25MHz in the 2155 to 2180MHz range, but the FCC is planning to meet on June 16 to discuss the rules of the ~~fail~~ sale. [RCR Wireless News]

AT&T Says Free Wi-Fi for iPhones Will Come... Someday

Elaine Chow — Sat, 10 May 2008 09:45:00 EDT

All AT&T's flip-flopping between offering free wireless at Starbucks and then taking it away—turns out it was some peon screwing up after all. An spokesperson for the company told the New York Times that the confusion was due to a "human error." But the day when iPhone users can definitively access the internet while sipping on frappuccinos will come, the PR flack assures, AT&T is just refusing to say when. Oh, come off it, AT&T. The cat's out of the bag already, you might as well roll out the service now. I'm sure there will be plenty of secrets you can accidentally release before deadline in the future. [New York Times]

AT&T/Starbucks Free Wi-Fi Disabled... For Now

Elaine Chow — Sat, 03 May 2008 17:00:00 EDT

AT&T's free Starbucks Wi-Fi for iPhone usersdeal didn't last very long. Users on the MacRumors forum say that locations where Wi-Fi worked just days ago now have the free iPhone access removed. Considering AT&T never made an official mention of the service, it's possible somebody at the Death Star jumped the gun and the mistake has been corrected. Or maybe the company found out that a simple hack would let anybody with a friend's iPhone number get a free ride. [MacRumors]

AT&T Giving Free Starbucks Wi-Fi to iPhone Users?

Jason Chen — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:01:56 EDT

Some Macrumors readers are reporting that AT&T's Starbucks and Barnes and Noble Wi-Fi hotspots are coughing up free internet access for iPhone users. When you hit up the wireless at these locations, you get directed to a special iPhone-formatted page that asks for your phone number. Once you punch that in, you're free to check email and Facebook at decent speeds. AT&T declined to comment, but didn't officially deny anything. [MacRumors]

AT&T Wi-Fi Hotspots Now Free for Broadband Subscribers

matt buchanan — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:20:04 EST

Good news, AT&T broadband subscribers! You will soon get free access to AT&T's 10,000+ Wi-Fi hotspots, which is nice if you hang out mostly at Barnes & Noble, McDonald's, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and airports. [AT&T]

Meraki Networks Revives Free Citywide Wi-Fi in San Francisco

matt buchanan — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 11:59:17 EST

Meraki Networks is expanding its SF network of 500 Wi-Fi repeaters—which covered two sq. miles and 40,000 people—to between 10 and 15 thousand to eventually cover the whole city. TC has details on why it might work this time around when it didn't for Google/Earthlink. [TechCrunch]

Meraki's Solar-powered Repeater Lets You Create Your Own Neighborhood Network

Louis Ramirez — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:35:05 EDT

Wanna bring Wi-Fi to your entire neighborhood? Meraki's $99 outdoor repeater lets you share your Internet access up to 700 feet (when paired with Meraki's $49 Mini router). The repeater can be installed on a wall outside your window or on a pole and because it's solar-powered, it doesn't need to be connected to an outlet. After setting up the repeater, you have the option of charging users (they pay Meraki and Meraki pays you) or granting them free Net access (we'll vouch for the latter). The outdoor repeater will debut later this summer. – Louis Ramirez

Press Release

Dealzmodo: Free T-Mobile Hotspot for 3 Months

Matt Buchanan — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 22:01:39 EST

Microsoft and T-Mobile are offering free Hotspot Wi-Fi access for 90 days starting Friday. The catch? You need a laptop running Windows Vista. No details on how the access will work, but supposedly all you need is Vista and you're good to go at any T-Mobile Hotspot. – Matt Buchanan

Free T-Mobile Hotspot for Vista Users [BetaNews via Broadband Reports]