[Deliverance]

A couple things:

First Cost Analysis, Solution: Wi-Max. It's here, it's cheap it's fast and going to hit 1Gb pretty soon. Or, VDSL... ADSL is so 1999. So yea, we can do it cheap.

Second, the problem. The government doesn't want to roll out free internet because people will share. If everyone has it you don't need to worry about piggybackers. This leads to a lack of accountability. The next time there's a bombing or child molestation hits prime time we'll hear about "The Children".

Third, we are missing our opportunity to push the government in this direction by allowing the big boys to monopolize rollouts in Crown Corporation and Public locations. The Internet at your library might be "Rogers Web access" in a couple years and they're already moving to control the TTC and (in all likelihood public transit in other major cities) . I've proposed a simple letter writing campaign requesting they install open infrastructure during the roll out bidding process but our directorship has decided to bugger around with negativity, long term platform goals which we'd need seats to achieve and of course petty politics.

My 2 cents.

- Deliverance

[cpt_chris]

this "piggybacking" you speak of (using public wifi) occurs whether internet is public or not. its our policy to promote internet privacy. the risks of anonymity shouldn't be a concern.

we really aren't as serious as we should be about this. i was reading an article on cbc news and one of the comments suggested we have a public internet system. look how many agreed with that statement. if this were suggested more frequently i'm sure canadians would embrace the idea more than you'd think.