dailywireless.org » Wi-Fi User Group: Sharing Disallowed by Clearwire

Wi-Fi User Group: Sharing Disallowed by Clearwire

Seventy-six trombones led the big parade, with a hundred and ten cornets close at hand. They were followed by rows and rows of the finest virtuosos, the cream of every famous band! - Professor Harold Hill

Portland’s Personal Telco Project (wiki), started, in 2000, turns houses, apartments and coffee shops into free wireless hotspots. Currently they have over 100 active nodes, and eventually would like to cover the entire city of Portland, Oregon with even more.

President Michael Weinberg shares his thoughts on Clearwire’s Portland service on Personal Telco’s Blog:

My understanding is that sharing your Clear connection is expressly disallowed by their Acceptable Use Policy. In light of this, Clear is not a boon to those interested in hosting PTP nodes, or otherwise setting up hotspots in areas where DSL or Cable service is unavailable.
While I find this disappointing, it is in line with the other major ISPs that operate in Portland, Qwest and Comcast, who both, by my reading, disallow sharing. It is also in line with the data plans of all the major wireless carriers.
To me, Clearwire’s largest challenge is how they position themselves in the wireless and broadband markets. In terms of connection speed and availability, Clear looks best when compared to Edge and 3G wireless data services…
…The potential problem for Clear is that smartphones have been steadily replacing laptops for many people’s on-the-go communication. Laptops are now typically only used in fixed locations such as airports and coffee shops, where WiFi connections tend to be readily available–and generally free in Portland, obviating the need for an additional subscription data plan.
Additionally, smartphones usually come bundled with data services from the carrier, and are generally not capable of using peripherals such as WiMax cards, meaning that these users will not have compelling reasons to adopt Clear accounts, regardless of the speed benefits that the service would represent.
…Overall, as a fixed service, Clear is not game-changing or particularly novel, and I think it is unlikely that they will become a major player in Portland’s home and business broadband market. The appeal of their service will also wane as cable and (hopefully) fiber deliver exponentially higher speeds.

I’m a member of PersonalTelco. But Michael doesn’t speak for everyone.

Put a dongle onto the back of (flashed) Netgear box, and you’ve got a compelling service for coffee shops (and individuals) who want to provide “free” Wi-Fi access. Wouldn’t it benefit both Sprint and Clearwire to enable its subscribers to have access to “free” hotspots in coffee shops? Like Starbucks.

Coffee shops will pay for it — and promote mobile data with voice. Think Android.

Don Park uses Open WRT on a Netgear WGT634U and can control music streaming with his Android Phone (below).

Clearwire has the potential to be a friend, not a foe, to grass roots Wi-Fi organizations like PTP. It’s just another business connection (which start at $55/month), after all. Currently, PTP uses DSL for the backhaul, but substituting DSL with Clearwire backhaul could make sense — for all parties.

I hoped to nail down a policy statement regarding shared (Wi-Fi) access for businesses like coffee shops during the Clear rollout this week in Portland, but I neglected to get one. I don’t see why this should be a big deal for Clearwire.

Here’s an essay I wrote back in October of 2006. After more than 2 years, I still think it rings true.

What’s Wrong with WiMAX?

How much would a solar-powered WiMAX/WiFi hotspot on a pole cost? Probably less than $65K a mile.

Sprint and Clearwire licensed WiMAX may cost less to deploy than muni WiFi mesh networks. They cover more area and provide roaming for $30-$40 month.

Huge WiFi networks, with all their backhaul requirements, seem risky and expensive by comparison. But Wi-Fi service can still be delivered cheaper than DSL — and everyone has WiFi on their laptops, already.

Now WiMAX is on its way. Use it for backhaul of (802.11n) hotspots. Then solar power the whole thing.

Not to toot my own horn, but I wrote High Noon for City Clouds almost four years ago:

Decisions to implement city “clouds” COULD be based on objective cost/analysis. Like everything else.
WiMAX, using glorified access points, should propel it into the vanguard of broadband delivery says one Frost & Sullivan analyst.
Why not deploy it? Coffee shops will.
Let the municipalities decide. Sometimes it pencils out. Sometimes it doesn’t. Technology will get faster, cheaper, better. Get used to it.

AWS and 700 MHz spectrum is too expensive. Free Wi-Fi at coffee shops compliments Mobile WiMAX.

While the cellular network is ubiquitous, it will likely be under heavy use (or inoperable) in an emergency. Mobile WiMAX can provide a high speed alternative. Providing local connectivity with WiFi or WiMAX or providing point to point connections is not just fun - it could save lives.

Broadband applications and mashups invite everyone in the pool. Social networks like Twitter have created a networked community of active, vital people. That’s where groups like Mercy Corps and Humaninet come in. They have real-world experience and know what’s needed in an emergency.

Mobilizing a corps of volunteers with experienced professionals seems worthwhile. It can also be fun working together on projects like music concerts. Plus you get free tickets.