I was reading the news last night when I saw an article about the worlds largest wireless network. Houston, Texas is planning to create a $50 million wireless network covering about 600 square miles. The fees to use it will be as low as $10 and free in some parks and libraries. They are also starting an organization to help people buy laptops they otherwise could not afford. I found this very interesting and very neat how we are moving into the future of connecting everyone into the internet. Los Angeles California is doing the same thing, but they are only covering about 400 square miles and are due to finish 2011. I think this is a great way to help people get connected and can't wait till it is finished, I don't know where they are getting the money because the mayor said it wasn't coming from the tax payers, but I'm sure they'll find some way to pay for it. Thought this might interest some people here.

It's nothing new,actually. In fact. Microsoft is using my hometown as a giant sandbox to play around in. A project called i-City, which also allows our entire city to have broadband, wireless internet.
Even though our city, Hasselt, is tiny compared to Houston, a network has been succesfully established within the inner boulevard. The center of the city, if you like. In collaboration with our college, where we all go to college with a laptop and study with it, we can move around freely in town, with Internet acces available everywhere. For free.
The services are expanding, in that you can create an account, with credits, print something and select a printer/printer center near to you and by the means of an electronic card with a passcode, you can acces the terminal and print it. You can also scan something and the scan can be sent to your default email address. Our library has the system implemented as wel, PDA's are made available, GPS integration also has systems set up on parking lots. Say you want to go shopping, and from your house, want the fastest route to a parking lot that isn't fully occupied. The GPS communicates with the city's databank and guides you to a parking lot that fits your requirements and isn't full. You can have a parking meter notify you by text when your time is running out, etc, etc...
They're also expanding the concept of an IP, meaning that more and more devices will receive an IP, thus making them able to communicate. Eventually, your fridge will have a darn IP, but with given thought, a fridge might be able to detect the amount of beer in your fridge and upon depletion of Man-Fuel, a shopping list is created and made available, perhaps even ordering online, and having it ready or even delivered.
A project called "Internet-voor-iedereen", meaning, Internet for everyone realised the sale of a fully functional and ready made laptop to be sold at a cheap price just like in your post.

The problem of covering a larger area, is that the current means of wireless networking encounters too many interferences, from steel constructions, to concrete, to weather conditions such as fog, which will prolly be a major issue in covering major cities such as Houston or LA. It's an exciting idea indeed. Not just the wireless network, but all the opportunities that stem from it.

Wow, I knew some cities had already started the network thing but I didn't realize you could use printers and scanners too. It's amazing how far we are advancing in technology in this past decade alone!

I like that idea. I'm glad Texas one of the forerunners.

But HiddenKinshin had a point about interferance.

One major thing is should the City of Houston be spenind money like this on the internet? If they have lack of housing like my town (also in texas) or a crime rate like San Antonio, then they should spend it on addressing those issues I think.

Well, right now I'm in possession of a chipped personal ID. A "new" gadget and I was one of the first generations to receive one in Belgium, even though I have one for about 2 years now (also due to the fact that I live in m$'s sandbox, I-city). I'm not sure if other countries have it, and if they do, America is prolly there.
It's an ID, that looks and feels like your average debit card, with an integrated chip with a PIN code. This chip contains your personal info, but also, for example, your social security information(we have no such thing as a social security number, though), your possible illnesses and allergies(should you get committed into the hospital, alone and unconsious. No time would be wasted getting your bloodgroup and possible past incidents or affections, etc...), your criminal record. It can serve as a digital signature, it can even be used to replace the library card. It can be used to confirm a reservation at a hotel quick and easy, or to digitally sign your emails. It can be used to easily fill out and submit your taxes online. Some companies use it as an access card, along with your PIN code. It's still FAR from full implementation, but imagine all of the crimes it would undo. No more identity theft, no more frauds and scams. A whole lot of information can be channeled through this system quick and easy.
On the other hand, it imposes a little bit of a "Big Brother" scenario. Everything is tracked, updated and stored onto that chip.

I also forgot the link about i-City!

http://www.i-city.be/

This post has been edited by HiddenKenshin: Feb 26 2007, 11:41 PM