When asked about their picks for the ten cities in the world with free wireless, attendees at the International Summit for Community Wireless Networks in D.C. chuckled. It's not that simple, they responded. Cafes and office buildings might have free wireless, but they're not necessarily part of larger efforts. And, especially in the U.S., municipal wireless has clashed with profit-minded service providers, causing scrapped plans. One workaround: inexpensive mesh networks like FON, Boingo, and Whisher that allow participants to create hotspots wherever they are. So, while you're searching for a signal, broadband wireless activist Glenn Strachan suggests looking to these cities for widespread affordable access:
1. Tallinn
Estonia seems like an odd place to start, but the wireless coverage here is impressive. Credit goes to Veljo Haamer, the founder of WiFi.ee, for jump-starting the effort. Haamer preached wireless evangelism that registered with tech-savvy government officials, spurred customer demand, and resulted in fruitful competition to provide service. Now young entrepreneurs can easily start wireless Internet companies with inexpensive 5-GHz transmitters attached to cell towers.
2. Seoul
This Korean city of 10 million has one of the most seamless wireless networks in the world. Koreans use WiMax, a much faster network with a larger reach than Wi-Fi. Telecommunications company KT's WiBro works throughout the subway system and even on the Seoul-Busan expressway. Subscriptions costs between $11 and $43 a month and more than 400,000 people are expected to subscribe by the end of 2008.
3. Taipei
Taiwan's largest city boasts one of the largest Wi-Fi networks in the world, called WiFly. The network is operated by the company Q-Ware through a public-private partnership. The initiative had some trouble drawing subscribers for between $4.50 and $12 a month, but coupling Internet phone service, access to online multiplayer games, and an increasing number of enabled devices have made it more tempting.
4. Singapore City
The Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore started its wireless initiative, called Wireless@SG, to encourage information technology in the country. The network excludes residences that already have broadband and is free until 2009. Then the wireless operators who manage the network will assess what residents and visitors want and how much they'd be willing to pay.
5. Paris
Back in 2003, two tech firms launched a free "weefee" trial, setting up antennas around Metro stops throughout the city. These days, mesh wireless networks from The Cloud and FON cover large swaths of the city. Strachan says he can walk around Paris with his laptop open and always find access points.
