Comments on: Can Wi-Fi make it in Manhattan?

New York is taking hard look at municipal wireless services. City wants to bring affordable broadband to the masses.

[Tbarner]

How 'Bout Taxpayer Run Hotels or Restaurants?

Since when does US, state or city government have the right or moral authority to enter markets that are held by private business? There are numerous companies that provide internet access in NYC and it shouldn't be the Mayor and the taxpayers' business to compete with them. The other way around where government provides a service first such as schools and business tries to break in, I have no problem.

How about we start a taxpayer run airlines so that visitors can come to NYC "free", or taxpayer run restaurants that serve "free" meals or taxpayer owned hotels.

[onetburn]

Interesting Point

But unfortunately governments already provide services that are offered by private industries. We have security companies and we have the police department. We have construction companies and we have public works departments. What is the L.A. DWP?

It's called serving the public good. Some things the public is just entitled to. Safety, infrastructure, and today communication systems.

[ORinSF]

"Too expensive"

Ms. Brewer is cited (but not quoted) as saying that broadband penetration in NYC is low because it is "too expensive". The proper interpretation of the statistic is that many New Yorkers do not consider broadband to be a priority for their $$. Is that not their right?

It also begs the question, how does the average income in NYC compare with other parts of the country? If one can afford to live in NYC, one can afford some level of broadband. It's not a question of affordability, it's a question of citizens making their own choices.

It is disingenuous to present municipal WiFi as being cheaper than commercial alternatives. It is not cheaper, it is simply a shift of the cost from consenting consumers to unconsenting taxpayers.

[lingsun]

Even the poorest residents can get wi-fi on their laptops????

How poor can you be if you have a laptop with wi-fi??? This story is really a National Lampoon joke, right? The program is really just going to give people free broadband who can really afford to buy their own service on the open market from companies that provide the service.

[bobj123]

MOOLAA

Your right on the "money". If you can live in NYC you more than likely can afford the service of high-speed internet. Although roughly most of the NYers rarely spend anytime in their apartments versus work. But if we are able to remove the "dial up" ideaology from the greatest city in the world, then innovate away!