Wi-Fi wars at the cafe

[Mark Holtz]

From Boston.com:

Wi-Fi warsSome wireless users sneak in their own food with their laptops. Others buy one cup of coffee at 9 a.m. and surf the Net until closing time. And the truly audacious sit for hours without making any pretense of a purchase.

In and around Boston, cafe owners who installed wireless signals to draw customers say they also are drawing Internet users who tie up seats for hours, buy little or nothing, and make coffee shops feel like the office as they tap away at their laptops. Now some owners are fighting back by charging for wireless access, shutting off their signal at peak business hours, or telling loitering laptoppers to shell out or ship out.FULL ARTICLE HERE (http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/07/09/wi_fi_wars/)

[Nick]

I wouldn't take advantage of an internet cafe's services like that, but I know there are some who people will -- probably hardcore gamers and out-of-work actors. ;)

At a local wi-fi bakery, www.bitsbytesandbuns.com, to test of my new wi-fi card I bought a cup of gormet coffee and a bag of pastries to sip-n-search for an hour online -- ate one and took the rest home.

Some time later, when a new McDonalds offered wi-fi for a fee, I whipped out my trusty T-Mobile wireless GPRS card and logged on for free while I scoffed down an SEC biscuit.

[DonLandis]

How did you get GPRS for free? I always had a monthly fee for T-Mobile GPRS. But with that fee I also had access to the T-Mobile hotspots as well. Not free but part of my monthly service bill. I still have my T-Mobile GPRS but I cancelled my service with them. If it can be had for free, I carry it as a backup.

[Nick]

Sorry, Don...I should have said "free of add'l cost"...of paying Micky D's for their "sip and surf' per hour wi-fi access.

I still pay T-Mobile $30/m for the wireless even though I seldom use it anymore.

[Nick]

Sorry, Don...I should have said "free of add'l cost"...of paying Micky D's for their "sip and surf' per hour wi-fi access.

I still pay T-Mobile $30/m for the wireless even though I seldom use it anymore.

[DonLandis]

Shucks! I thought there was something new out there. BTW- surprised you still are on T-Mobile and paying the connect rates for wifi. Been with Verizon now since January and the EVDO card is easily 100 times better than T-Mobile. I can now upload video files and down load sling box TV shows while in my hotel room. I don't ever need the hotel's wifi or ethernet service which is risky for security anyway. Also, back last year when I was still on GPRS with T-M I could never get connection in both the Carolinas and Southern Virginia. That may have improved but I can now stay connected to internet with a switching 28.8 modem speed connect alternating to 350kbps average speed in many places between Jacksonville and NY. The phone service is vastly superior too. I can even access my internet security cameras for full motion video on my cell phone which has EVDO. If you are now off contract with T-M you should check it out.
In March when I finally disconnected my last service from T-M I thought I would use the Hot spots while at the airport but discovered that I never needed it because the EVDO was everywhere and login was much faster than T-M Hotspots; including on the plane before they make you shut down when they close the doors. EVDO is like having DSL at home. It is that reliable.

Oh yes, in case you didn't know, the deal we had and you still do with T-M for $30 a month is no longer available. They warned me that if I cancelled and decided to return the same service would be $49 per month. I just laughed since that made my decision a slam dunk.