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News and information for free public access Wi-Fi location owners and users

We call a hotspot that offers free Wi-Fi internet access a Wi-Fi-FreeSpot.

Click here for the Wi-Fi-FreeSpot Directory.

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Want to learn how to build a FreeSpot? Go to WiFiFreenet.

 

Why Free?

A previous post mentioned the free access available in several parks in the Downtown area of NYC. Here's an excerpted quote from a story on atNewYork.com. The quote is from Anthony Townsend of Emenity.com and the NYCWireless group.

"For Emenity, the Downtown Alliance deal adds a big-name client to its roster for wireless network consulting services. The six-employee firm is avoiding the subscription-based Wi-Fi services -- adopted by Starbucks and cafes nationwide -- in favor of free public networks that 'differentiate real estate space,' Townsend explained.

'We're promoting a different kind of business model for Wi-Fi. Instead of subscriptions from subscribers, we see value in providing easy to use wireless networks,' he said. For the client, the value lies in modernizing real estate space to offer high-speed wireless access.

In terms of what it costs to put free Wi-Fi in a building lobby, it's a trivial amount of money. But it does differentiate the building as a place to do business,' Townsend said."

Read the full article here.

posted by Jim at 2:15 PM

 

FreeSpot Directory Additions

The Downtown Alliance in NYC is turning on the free access in three outdoor Park locations this week and in three more by the end of May. Check out the New York page for locations. The New Hampshire page now has its first listing.

posted by Jim at 1:45 PM

 

Wi-Fi

The term Wi-Fi is short for wireless fidelity and is commonly used to refer to the 802.11 technology that is used in hotspot and FreeSpot location access points, routers and gateways, and in the wireless adapter cards in users' laptops and PDAs. I've recently learned that Wi-Fi is a registered certification mark of The Wi-Fi Alliance. They are a non-profit organization formed to certifiy interoperability of wireless Local Area Network products based on IEEE 802.11 specification.

My sites, www.wififreenet.com and www.wififreespot.com, and this web log are not affiliated with nor sponsored by The Wi-Fi Alliance. I fully support the efforts of The Wi-Fi Allliance and urge all hotspot and FreeSpot owners and users to use certified products.

posted by Jim at 6:00 AM

 

FreeSpot Directory Additions

There are new listings on the Missouri and Virginia pages.

posted by Jim at 4:22 AM

 

FreeSpot Directory Additions

Recent additions have been made to the Idaho, Washington, Kansas and Europe pages. The new listings on the Idaho and Kansas pages are the first ones in those states.

posted by Jim at 7:49 AM

 

FreeSpot Directory Additions

We have our first listing on the

 

FreeSpot Directory Additions

New additions on the Georgia, Florida, Ohio, California, Texas and Europe(Italy and Ireland) pages.

posted by Jim at 7:07 AM

 

FreeSpot Directory Additions

Following the lead of the Apple Retail Stores in the USA, several Sony Store locations in the Toronto, Canada area are now offering in-store free Wi-Fi. Sony says they plan to offer free Wi-Fi in more Canadian locations later this year.

posted by Jim at 5:11 PM

 

FreeSpot Directory Additions

New free access locations added in San Francisco and Wrightsville Beach, NC

posted by Jim at 9:58 AM

 

FreeSpot Directory Additions

A couple new additions in Italy and Latvia on the Europe page and a couple new spots in the Indianapolis area on the Indiana page.

posted by Jim at 8:05 AM

 

FreeSpot Directory Additions

Lots of new listings on the state of Washington page.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has a good story about free Wi-Fi by Dan Richman.

posted by Jim at 4:30 PM

 

More free accees for NYC Parks

A story in the NY Times says "A downtown business improvement district is planning to establish free high-speed wireless Internet access in six parks and public spaces in Lower Manhattan next month, significantly expanding the availability downtown of wireless connections to the Internet.

Officials of the Alliance for Downtown New York, the business improvement district that encompasses most of Manhattan south of City Hall, said yesterday that the organization will set up wireless access points, which are known as Wi-Fi connections or "hot spots," in City Hall Park, the South Street Seaport area and Bowling Green,
Vietnam Veterans Plaza on Water Street north of Broad Street; in Liberty Plaza, at Broadway and Liberty Street; and in Rector Park in Battery Park City. "

posted by Jim at 7:23 AM

 

Wi-Fi Drive-Ins

Here's a comment from Glenn Fleischman's Wi-Fi Networking News - "I hear more and more about people driving up to closed (or open) shops and employing drive-by Wi-Fi: powering up the laptop, performing their tasks, and moving on. They'll have to enlarge parking lots next, not seating, at many cafes."

That got me thinking. Remember the old A&W Root Beer Drive-Ins? Maybe your town had one or something similar. Now they can make a comeback as Wi-Fi Drive-Ins - free Wi-Fi access with the food and drink.

posted by Jim at 5:45 PM

 

FreeSpots Needed

If you can't find a FreeSpot in your neighborhood you should tell the owner of your favorite cafe, coffeeshop or other location where you spend time that it would be great if you could bring your laptop next time. Tell them you'd probably stop in more often and probably spend more money if you could have free Wi-Fi Internet and e-mail access while you ate, drank or just socialized. If they get a puzzled look on their face tell them to go to www.wififreenet.com so they can learn all about Wi-Fi and how to open a FreeSpot.

posted by Jim at 10:28 AM

 

FreeSpot Directory Addition

Check out the Iowa page for free access in Iowa City.

posted by Jim at 10:20 AM