State: Pioneering Wi-Fi city seeing startup problems

Link: State: Pioneering Wi-Fi city seeing startup problems. While San Francisco is getting all the press, a tiny Florida town has been experimenting with free Wi-Fi access for all of the town's citizens, in a contract with Earthlink and Google. It is the first in the country to offer completely free access; however, the beginning hiccups are proving the adage: "There is no such thing as a free lunch". Some of the spotty service has forced citizens to keep their paid service, and the network is unbearably slow in places. Still, this suburb of Orlando may be the harbinger of things to come. Taxpayer subsidized Internet for everyone. Internet access is rapidly becoming so essential that it may become the next utility. In fact, use of such a network would make first responders, and other emergency personnel more effective, and better able to get information in an emergency- if it works. I see a future of parents in cafes in DisneyWorld busily accessing the Internet while their kids stand in line for two hours to ride Space Mountain. Oh, joy. Oh, happy day.