David T. Witkowski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I'd agree absolutely, but unfortunately BT are not doing this. There's three players involved. BT build and sell wholesale broadband. BT Openworld are an ISP that buys it's broadband from BT Wholesale. BT Openzone are a Hotspot provider that build and manage high end business targeted hotspots. They also buy the backhaul from BT Wholsale. There's actually a 4th player in here which is BT Retail who buy Broadband from BT Wholesale and then resell it to the customer with no added value. You get an internet connection and that's it. Meanwhile Openworld run promotions that sell Linksys WiFi gear cheap. And all this is hemmed in by a complex set of government regulations that specifically exclude any cross selling or cross subsidization between the different groups.BTO's approach is along the lines of what I've advocated for a while; that ISPs are missing a huge market by not using their installed base to deploy a network via hotspots.Imagine if an ISP like Earthlink were to put an 802.11b access point into every DSL "modem". Given their number of subscribers they would right now be well on their way to critical-mass coverage. They could offer loyalty incentives to subscribers; free access at public hotspots, etc. The existence of the network (and potential customer base) would drive the development of WiFi appliances; video, audio, data devices accessing Internet through WiFi. It would drive the development of WiFi/Cellular combo phones, which could "roam" between a normal mobile provider and an Earthlink VoIP network; effectively making Earthlink a cellular provider.
Which is all pretty boring for Bay Area people. But instructive because I have been trying to suggest the above franchise or piggy back model to several people in BT. Needless to say they don't get it. Reality is that whether or not the broadband ISPs encourage this or write AUPs to discourage it, it's happening anyway. The WiFi AP manufacturers are homing in on a standard AP box for the consumer. And it's got modem, router, AP, firewall, and 10/100 ethernet ports all for sub-$200. And consumers will buy these because it's a no brainer compared with a $100 ADSL/cable modem. So I think the trick for us is to come up with a recommended setup for these boxes which provides enough security for the consumer but leaves access open for guests. And this seems to be the route that Boingo are taking as well.
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