a future for WiFi?: or why I’m blogging so regularly again

a future for WiFi?: or why I’m blogging so regularly again

About a month ago I changed cell phone providers to Verizon. As part of my new package I purchased Verizon\’s \”BroadbandAccess\” service (also called EV-DO – evolution-data optimized). EVDO is currently the country\’s fastest 3G data service, providing access at 400-700 kbps with bursts up to 2.0Mbps. Now that I am experiencing true anywhere anytime broadband access, I have some questions about the long term viability of city WiFi projects. Both Philadelphia and San Francisco have proposed free or low cost WiFi networks of roughly the same or slower speeds than EVDO. Why invest in a WiFi infrastructure that requires many small, overlapping nodes with limited geographic range, that are susceptible to interference, and presumably have higher maintenance costs, when mobile phone companies already provide comparable wireless data services without the new infrastructure costs? I assume it has something to do with the cost of access and the perceived ubiquitous availability of WiFi devices. However, the cost of the card required for EVDO access was less than $30 and Dell and Lenovo/IBM both plan to integrate EVDO wireless access into future laptop models, much like WiFi and bluetooth. As the cost of 3G access comes down and as speeds go up it seems likely that cell phone networks will replace the current dominance of WiFi. Will this lead to another chapter of the digital divide? With those who can afford it using mobile phone networks, while those who cannot being relished to a slower, outdated, less reliable WiFi infrastructure?