This is pretty cool, but I'm kind of amazed by it. After reading of WiFi utopias in other cities where, seemingly, free wireless access points existed everywhere from truck stops to barbershops, and you could get wireless in the forest because the city had a catch-and-release plan whereby deer were implanted with access points and left to roam free, Austin seemed far behind that kind of ideal.
But apparently Austin is pretty close to as good as it gets today. List of Austin free wireless points here.
Austin ROCKS compared to other cities. I can usually find an access point in Austin without too much muss and fuss. Houston and Dallas, not so good. San Antonio? Forget it. I once asked at a coffeehouse in SA if they had wireless Internet, and the barista looked at me as if I'd asked if I could deficate on the bar... confused and upset by that confusion...
Thanks for the info. This is really interesting, because I'm trying to work with the City to develop programs to expand wireless access--both for the economic development incentives as well as bridging the digital divide. (And if anybody has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.)
Do you think part of the reason behind the high ranking is the amount of coverage on UT? Granted, this isn't open to the public, but its certainly a large, high-profile swath of central Austin covered in Wi-Fi.
The survey included both "public and commercial" access points, so it would take UT into account. I wish they had published the supporting stats for each city, that would have been very interesting. It should also be noted that the survey wasn't purely about WiFi, it also included cellular WAN access and "internet penetration" whatever that is.
Chip: what about showing the City that we're only third? Just kidding... I guess it depends what kind of programs you're trying for. I think it would be great to see more large, open WiFi hotspots and I think it's a mere matter of time until that happens. Boston's NewburyOpen is an interesting case study. http://www.newburyopen.net/
Welcome to the all new Bloglines, the best resource for local blogs, news, and events.
Bloglines Reader
Bloglines is the fastest way to find and track your favorite websites and blogs in real-time.
Easily customize your dashboard with multiple view options, drag and drop organization, and
exclusive widgets. Get the latest news on all your interests and trending topics exactly the
way you want it, with the new Bloglines Reader!
Bloglines isn't going anywhere! We're happy to announce that MerchantCircle is going to keep Bloglines up and running. As part of the transition, we ask our users to migrate their existing accounts to the new system.
The city that never sleeps has plenty to talk about! From Times Square to Broadway shows and every fashion designer in between, you can get into an Empire State of Mind with the best of The Big Apple blogs: The Lo-Down, Gothamist, and Time Out New York.
Celebrities and surfers aren't the only hot topics in Southern California's iconic city of Los Angeles. In tabloid town people are always talkin'! Get informed with top LA blogs L.A. Unleashed, 24 Frames, and Chatter.
The Windy City isn't just home to Wrigleyville, and a mile of miraculous shopping. In between bites of world famous deep-dish you can now digest the details of all that's happening in Chi-Town with these top Chicago blogs: Globetrotting, Cityscapes, Change of Subject
It's more than just home to baseball's World Champion San Francisco Giants, this friendly city is packed with artists, events, foodies, eclectics neighborhoods and some killer blogs! Get the insider scoop from top blogs SF Gate, SFList, and EaterSF!
From the Space Needle to the music scene to the world famous Pike Place Fish Market, Seattle's got it goin' on. Keep up with top blogs like Seattle Daily Photo, Seattle Subsonic, Seattlest.
Welcome to the all new Bloglines, the best resource for local blogs, news, and events.
Bloglines Reader
Bloglines is the fastest way to find and track your favorite websites and blogs in real-time.
Easily customize your dashboard with multiple view options, drag and drop organization, and
exclusive widgets. Get the latest news on all your interests and trending topics exactly the
way you want it, with the new Bloglines Reader!
Bloglines isn't going anywhere! We're happy to announce that MerchantCircle is going to keep Bloglines up and running. As part of the transition, we ask our users to migrate their existing accounts to the new system.
The city that never sleeps has plenty to talk about! From Times Square to Broadway shows and every fashion designer in between, you can get into an Empire State of Mind with the best of The Big Apple blogs: The Lo-Down, Gothamist, and Time Out New York.
Celebrities and surfers aren't the only hot topics in Southern California's iconic city of Los Angeles. In tabloid town people are always talkin'! Get informed with top LA blogs L.A. Unleashed, 24 Frames, and Chatter.
The Windy City isn't just home to Wrigleyville, and a mile of miraculous shopping. In between bites of world famous deep-dish you can now digest the details of all that's happening in Chi-Town with these top Chicago blogs: Globetrotting, Cityscapes, Change of Subject
It's more than just home to baseball's World Champion San Francisco Giants, this friendly city is packed with artists, events, foodies, eclectics neighborhoods and some killer blogs! Get the insider scoop from top blogs SF Gate, SFList, and EaterSF!
From the Space Needle to the music scene to the world famous Pike Place Fish Market, Seattle's got it goin' on. Keep up with top blogs like Seattle Daily Photo, Seattle Subsonic, Seattlest.
