| Sitting in Union Square, in the heart of San | | | | And therein lies the problem. America's past |
| Francisco, you will find many languages spoken. | | | | success story inhibits future successes, inhibits |
| People come here from all over the world to | | | | advances, inhibits progression. |
| experience San Francisco, one of America's, if not | | | | Many other countries bear no such burden of past |
| the world's, best cities. They also come here to | | | | successes and, because of this, might just pass |
| shop. | | | | us right by. For example, many third world |
| If you walk into any of the stores outlining the | | | | countries are unencumbered by entrenched |
| beautiful palm-tree lined park of Union Square, | | | | land-based communication services. Thus, they will |
| Macy's, Saks, Nieman Marcus, you will find | | | | go straight to wireless unimpeded by lawyers and |
| foreigners here to buy goods on the cheap. | | | | lobbyists. |
| Foreigners, especially Europeans, are flocking here | | | | In this article in Technology in Society, the authors |
| to get goods on the cheap (at Saks, no less) like | | | | posit that "as emerging markets look for |
| Americans use to do in their countries. | | | | opportunities to "leap-frog", they can quickly adapt |
| What is going on? Is America the new Mexico, | | | | to next-generation wireless technologies like Wi-Fi |
| with foreigners coming to our shores to get all | | | | and WiMAX, thereby gaining advantages over |
| their proverbial silver on the cheap? | | | | other traditional wired infrastructures." |
| The answer may be right here in Union Square, | | | | This phenomenon is not exclusive to the |
| where I sit with my laptop amidst all the | | | | communications industry; it exists in many |
| foreigners. Here, I can get wireless Internet | | | | industries-entrenched companies preventing, or |
| access provided by Google. Google offered to | | | | deliberately squashing, technologies that will enable |
| blanket all of San Francisco with free wireless | | | | America to compete in the future. |
| Internet access in early 2005, but they were | | | | Paying a lot for gas right now? Do you ever |
| refused and had to deal with an endless | | | | wonder what happened to the idea of the electric |
| bureaucracy. | | | | car? Read more about how the auto industry |
| Why would a city refuse or delay an offer for | | | | squashed the electric car. In his article Electric |
| free wireless to all of its citizens? | | | | Dreams, Patrick Quinton writes "how the |
| Perhaps a better question to ask is this: Who | | | | automakers are so distracted by the effort to |
| stands to lose if Google provides free wireless | | | | maintain the status quo that they short circuit the |
| access to the whole city? | | | | technology and neuter the ingenuity that could |
| We need look no further than my situation to | | | | ultimately save their futures." |
| answer that question. I currently pay about $80 | | | | Hyperbole? |
| per month to the phone company, AT&T, | | | | Well, it might not be unreasonable to ask this |
| which is broken down as follows: $40 a month for | | | | question: Would America be at war with Iraq right |
| the active phone line (which I need for Internet) | | | | now if everyone drove an electric car? If the |
| and $40 a month for the actual Internet. If google | | | | answer to this question is "no", General Motors, |
| provided reasonably fast free wireless Internet | | | | who deliberately squashed the development of |
| access, I would cancel my phone service | | | | the electric car, is directly responsible for the lost |
| immediately. I use my cell phone for all calls | | | | lives of countless Americans. |
| anyway; the only people who call my land line are | | | | I don't sit here in Union Square in San Francisco |
| salespeople. | | | | intending to bash General Motors, AT&T, or |
| Thus, AT&T would lose $80 a month from | | | | any other company for that matter. That's |
| me. No big deal right? Well, let's assume that | | | | Michael Moore's purview. |
| 500,000 residents of San Francisco are in my | | | | However, I do wonder aloud why our country has |
| exact situation. In that case, AT&T would | | | | become the new Mexico, with foreigners all |
| lose $40,000,000, yes that's $40 million, dollars a | | | | around us not to embrace our culture, but to |
| month in revenue. | | | | exploit our weak economy and buy stuff cheaply. |
| Now, Google would like to implement this wireless | | | | I wonder about this. |
| service nationwide. Let's assume then, perhaps | | | | Do you? |
| conservatively, that 30 million people would cancel | | | | There is hope. Recently, Google, combined with |
| their land phone and Internet service. That would | | | | Earthlink, did receive the contract for free |
| amount to $2.4 billion dollars each month in lost | | | | wireless throughout San Francisco. This proves |
| revenue to the phone company. | | | | that companies like AT&T will fold when |
| With these huge potential losses, do you not think | | | | they realize that they are fighting a losing battle. |
| that the phone companies are using every last | | | | However, when these companies finally acquiesce, |
| lobbyist and lawyer on the payroll to block this | | | | will the battle already be lost? |
| progression? | | | | |