The mayor of Los Angeles wants to provide free wireless high-speed Internet over the entire city. Very cool, I can hardly wait!!! I know when I go into LA I will use it and I am sure many others will as well.
I do however have a problem with his reasons. He states that he want to provide this access, to assist the poor people who can not afford computers. While this is very noble thought, it does leave me wondering if he is also planning on buying computers for those with out them.
Is he going to buy wireless cards & other upgrades needed to get those with old computers up to the standards needed to use his free access?
Is he going to provide city wide tech support to install, maintain and be a help desk for all citizens & aliens?
Is he going to provide laptops for the homeless, so they can take advantage of it as well?
Whatever all of this he is proposing to do, who is going to pay for it all?
I also wonder if there will be a loss of tax revenue from the current Internet service providers who will no longer have much business in LA. I certainly would not continue to pay for a connection, if there was free high-speed available in our city.
Ultimately, it is my opinion that if he does all the things I have suggested he might, he will come close to his stated goal of free high speed Internet for all in LA. But at what cost?
Of course if he does not do all of these things, and instead just builds a free wireless network over the city, who is he really helping?
