ORIGINAL: bkdavy
I don't think we're going to see large, high power transmitters being setup to blanket huge areas to provide free wi-fi because the small devices used won't have the power to transmit back over long distances.
It won't be free and it will sell new computers and PCMCIA cards with the long range transceivers as well.
The major ISPs and manufacturers have already brought this up in congressional hearings on the Spectrum Inventory bills.
I recall when people said cell phones would never become a reality, too. Free phone service with towers every where? Nope, pay to play phones with towers everywhere.