Katrina vanden Heuvel (The Nation): WiFi for All

Sweet Victory: WiFi For All
By Katrina vanden Heuvel
Co-written by Sam Graham-Felsen.

As corporate telecommunications giants accelerate their efforts to create a two-tiered Internet, one of our greatest tools for democracy and equality is under assault. America already lags far behind other industrialized nations in Net access--paying "two to three times as much for slower and poorer quality service than countries like South Korea or Japan"--and if big telecom succeeds, the Internet may be slower and more costly than ever.

Fortunatrely, media rights activists are fighting--and winning--battles to ensure that more, not fewer, are given access to the web. One of the major fronts in the fight to equalize Internet access has been the effort to provide universal wireless service, and cities across the nation are rapidly embracing WiFi-for-all initiatives.

In 2004, Philadelphia became the first major city in the US to launch a universal, affordable wireless Internet service, creating a massive "wireless mesh network" which will reach 135 miles throughout the city. Philly's plan, which is slated to be available in 2007, will cost around $20 per month and about half as much for low-income residents--far below the market rate for high-speed Internet access.

San Francisco already has a community wireless program in the works, and several other major cities, including Chicago and Boston have created task forces for universal Wi-Fi plans. Meanwhile, smaller towns and cities like Urbana, Illinois, are also passing "magnificent pro-wireless resolutions," according to Sascha Meinrath of the media reform advocacy organization Free Press.