Free Google WiFi and Earthlink Wireless Internet Network Will be Limited

Google and Earthlink set the broadband industry aflame when the two companies announced they were teaming up to provide free wireless Internet access in San Francisco. Now, Google and Earthlink are planning on bringing free wireless Internet to another, as of yet unnamed, American city. The service, however, will be considerably different from the proposed San Francisco offering.

Limited Free High Speed Wireless Internet Access

Although the newest iteration of Google’s wireless Internet service will be free and ad-supported much like the San Francisco WiFi network, it will also only be able to access limited content. Google and Earthlink plan to allow users to only access area Web sites, local search, and, of course, targeted advertisements for local businesses. Earthlink in particular hopes that this will encourage users to invest in a low-cost subscription based service with full access to the Internet.

Free Citywide WiFi Internet Access: Not What You’re Expecting

Completely free citywide wireless Internet access sounds like a dream come true, but it is very difficult to implement this service cost-effectively.  Earthlink notes that with free, unlimited service, the targeted advertisements need to generate $7 a month just to break even. Providing limited access to the Internet may be a viable solution as it will place a more targeted focus on the advertisements generating the revenue, and may encourage users to subscribe to the unlimited version of the service.

The difficulty isn’t just Earthlink’s and Google’s. Other companies have had problems with the free Internet access business model, and the implementation of free Internet citywide is still a long time in coming. Philadelphia officials, for instance, were planning on implementing a free, ad-supported wireless Internet network in the city. Unfortunately, that plan fell short, and officials switch from a free to a fee business model, and will be charging anywhere from $10 - $20 a month for access to the service.

Free Google WiFi Internet Access: An Alternative

Free citywide networks are a good idea, but the state of the market is such that they are not particularly viable.  Networks like this must be supported by advertisements, and online advertisements no longer generate the necessary revenue. Instead of banking on an ad-supported wireless network and having to deal with limited access to content and advertisements, you may want to consider other wireless options.

Although these city-wide networks are excellent for quickly looking up information in the city you are currently in, they are simply not fast enough or may otherwise not provide the access you have come to expect for home or regular use. Instead, you may want to try one of the home wireless Internet networking options from any of these broadband Internet service providers, and pay a little extra for a lot more service.