Free WiFi for all...Gracias!

January 2007

Spanish start_up promises free Wi_Fi for all.
A small Spanish start_up called Whisher is thumbing its nose at U.S. broadband
providers as it prepares to launch a new service that lets people share their broadband
connections via Wi_Fi. "Either you believe in the user_generated revolution or you believe
ISPs rule the world," said Ferran Moreno, co_founder and CEO of Whisher. "I believe ISPs
don't rule the world and how the Internet works." Of course, there is one small snag in
Moreno's utopian view of free Wi_Fi for everyone. In the U.S., it's illegal.

Time Warner and other broadband providers such as Verizon
Communications said it's rare that they have to take action against subscribers sharing their
broadband service outside their home. But representatives from each company said that if
illegal sharing persists, the company takes action, which could result in users getting their
service cut off or even facing prosecution. So far, broadband providers have not come down
hard on other companies proposing to build free Wi_Fi networks that cobble together networks
using existing Wi_Fi hot spots. But this could be because these networks are still relatively
new, and their service models require additional equipment.
Source: http://news.com.com/Spanish+start_up+Whisher+promises+free+Wi_Fi+for+alltag=nefd.lede