Wireless Group Now Approves Muni-Fi Position 180 (old news - 09:11AM Thursday Feb 16 2006) tags: wireless · municipal
The wireless industry association CTIA has changed its position on municipal broadband, and says they are not opposed to competition from city-sponsored, unlicensed wireless ventures. Why? Some members have realized there's profit potential; companies like Cingular have bid on the San Francisco Wireless proposal (even while AT&T lobbies to ban and/or restrict muni-broadband).
That is an interesting point. Seems like a strange course of action.
Not really. The municipal WiFi landscape has changed quite a bit over the last 2 years. Almost every new city-wide WiFi project has now turned to a franchise agreement with private companies bidding to build and then collect fees for access. The taxpayer supported built and run by the city/town model has almost completely disappeared. I think AT&T is just keeping the pressure on to make sure the taxpayer supported model never returns. And their subsidiary is taking advantage of the new model by bidding on the franchises. -- -- Join Red Room Forum My Web Page Conrail Photo Album
Cingular owns AT&T wireless, which was completely spun off from AT&T a number of years before they merged. I don't believe the two are related in any other way.. could be wrong.
You are correct that ATT wireless was spun off from ATT, but now ATT is owned by SBC (now SBC changed their name to ATT). ATT/SBC owns 60% of Cingular, the other 40% is owned by Bellsouth. (until ATT/SBC buys them too)
Wireless Group Now Approves Muni-Fi
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