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08/22/2004: "more on free WiFi"

The man, the one and only blogfather tries free WiFi in Panera bread, and starts to understand that WiFi is free.

Glenn goes on to very aptly wonders whether Starbuck's will continue its T-Mobile partnership, if it creates a competitive vulnerability in their real line of business. Schlotzsky's program was a direct shot across the bow of Starbucks and T-Mobile.

This is what happens when the market tips towards free. I think the Starbucks/T-Mobile partnership will continue, but the price will drop such that its free, or gives the appearance of being free.

A similar thing is happening in the hotel space. Omni, Wyndham, Clarion Hotels and Comfort Suites, Best Western, Hampton Inns, Holiday Inn Express, Microtel Inns and Suites, West Coast Hotels/Red Lion, La Quinta, and some Courtyard, Residence Inn, Spring Hill Suites, Fairfield Inn and Towne Place Suites by Marriott all have free WiFi available to their guests and visitors. While the

In the airline space, I believe that the airlines *themselves* will install networks for their applications (queue-busting, for instance), and that through the magic of multiple-ESSIDs and bandwidth control, will make these same networks available to their passengers, or at least the "frequent fliers" amoung them.

Wither Wayport, T-Mobile, and STSN, along with the other, smaller players in the for-pay hotspot space? Well, Wayport's recent "Wi-Fi World" is a move toward free (or the appearance of free). If someone you already have a billing relationship with "picks up" your WiFi service in McDonalds and other locations, you'll be has happy to use these as locations that are simply an AP slapped on the end of a DSL line. Wi-Fi World is Wayport's tacit admission that WiFi networks are free.

"But why would anyone pay Wayport to install and operate a network for which there is no charge?", you may ask. The answer is both simple and disturbing. It turns out that not everyone uses the network for good. There are people who will use a free network for their actions involving copyright infringement and trading p0rn involving those under the age of 18.

Yes, unfortunately, it does happen.

Having an organization that can answer these requests (or better take them off the hands of the venue owner) might be worth a couple hundred per month, especially if the free WiFi is adding more than that to the bottom line.

More on this front later.