AT&T

Free WiFi Coming to Starbucks

I have never understood why Starbucks charged for their wifi hotspot access. I understood why TMobile wanted to make some money off of the deal, but wifi hotspots are everywhere. I like Starbucks, but Panera has free wifi, other coffee shops, bakeries, and restaurants have free wifi. Heck, I got new tires on my car the other day and the tire store offered free wifi in the waiting room. The Internet is available for free virtually anywhere, so I could never understand why someone would pay $20 or $30 a month, or even worse $10 a day, for the privilege of accessing it at a Starbucks. Well, no more! Almost. AT&T has won the contract for Starbucks from TMobile and they are offering a revamped pricing structure. Subscribers to the AT&T broadband Internet service will be able to access the Starbucks wifi for free. Patrons who use a Starbucks card, will be able to access the Starbucks wifi for free for the first 2 hours per day. Additional time will cost money, but less than patrons are used to paying for the TMobile wifi hotspot access. Now, if McDonald’s would get on the free wifi bandwagon too American caffeine and fast food consumers will be all set.

Microsoft Rumored To Buy Blackberry

Actually, the rumor is that Microsoft might be in the market to purchase Canadian-based mobile device manufacturer RIM (Research in Motion), makers of the popular Blackberry communication devices. Microsoft may be feeling some pressure to stake a stronger presence in the mobile device market after their two biggest rivals have entered the fray. Apple recently rolled out the iPhone through AT&T (formerly Cingular), and Google is reportedly seeking to purchase airwave bandwidth and may be announcing a Google-centric mobile device of their own. Microsoft already makes the Windows Mobile operating system, used on a variety of mobile and handheld devices. The purchase, if it happens, would put Microsoft in a position to develop both the hardware and software, and could also allow them to potentially phase out the Blackberry OS, one of the biggest competitors for mobile device operating systems.

Net Neutrality

The issue of Net Neutrality has been a hot topic lately. Some major Internet providers, such as AT&T and Comcast, propose that they own their networks and that they should be able to block or throttle content. In other words, if Company A pays more than Company B, maybe Company A’s data gets priority throughput. Or, perhaps AT&T can hinder content or data from competitors such as Comcast. On the other side of the spectrum are those who argue that the Internet has to remain free and neutral. In this Computerworld.com article, the issue is explored more deeply.

Here is my $.02. The Internet has to remain neutral. We can’t take something as indispensible as the Internet, a tool that can be leveraged to educate and to level the playing field between rich and poor, big and small, and let big corporations control who can access it or how. Capitalism and free trade aside, AT&T does not have the right, in my opinion, to throttle or limit access from competing Internet providers, or to give a higher priority to some data over other data based on who is paying more.

Granted, users already receive varying speeds of access depending on what they pay. Users of cable modems typically get faster speeds than users of DSL who get faster speeds than users of dial-up telephone connections. But, whatever data they do send or receive is treated equally. It may be slower getting to the routers and servers it is heading for, but it is not unduly hindered based on who generated it or how much they are paying.

The Internet is a tool for the masses. As the old Information Superhighway comparison suggests, it is analogous to our highway system. If the United States were to privatize the maintenance of the roads and highways, would we allow the corporations running the road system to restrict or deny access? All inidviduals and corporations need equal access to the road system. Otherwise, a corporation, or coalition of corporations, can abuse their power to separate the haves from the have-nots.

The Internet providers need to come up with some other business model for generating revenue and profit, and compete fairly with other Internet providers. If they don’t like to play nicely with others, they should get out of the ISP business.