WiFi America

WiFi America

Documentary about the wireless broadband initiatives in American municipalities.

URL = http://www.onpointradio.org/shows/2005/10/20051006_a_main.asp

Description

"There's revolution in the air, at least in some cities: more and more of them are moving to set up systems that would let all their residents access the Internet without wires and for very little money or even for free.

Most of us think of wireless Internet access as a luxury but cities say it's not and municipal wireless could change a lot for consumers. For example, cheap easy internet access could become the preferred way for consumers to make phone calls so they would bypass traditional telephone companies.

What happens to the telephone companies? And what about the companies pushing to be in the middle of this new consumer access? Google is proposing to provide free, wireless high-speed access in San Francisco. Is Google growing too big and too powerful?"

Guests

· Jesse Drucker, reporter, Wall Street Journal

· John Batelle, author of "The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture"

· Dianah Neff, Chair of the Executive Committee of Wireless Philadelphia

· Ellen Daley, Principal Analyst for Wireless and Telecoms, Forrester Research.