Meraki promises free, citywide WiFi network for San Francisco

It looks like the folks at Meraki are angling to the fill in the WiFi gap left after San Francisco pulled the plug on the much-hyped Google / Earthlink deal, although, conveniently for them, that doesn't amount to them doing anything all that different than what they've always been doing. Still, with a fresh $20 million in funding, the company is certainly better positioned to put the citywide mesh network into place, which they say could eventually use as many as 15,000 wireless antennas to bounce WiFi signals around the city (quite a boost from the 500 repeaters now providing service to a few neighborhoods). If the network spreads as far as the company hopes, it would apparently be the largest mesh network in the US and, obviously, be quite the showpiece for the company to use to attract business elsewhere.

[Thanks, Paul B]

[Nick @ Jan 4th 2008 2:50PM]

Whoop-d'freaking-doo. My brother uses the metro wifi in Portland and it's oversaturated to the point where his connection will drop to dial-up speeds or lower.

I don't see public wifi really catching on for two reasons:

1. If public wifi was really usuable and a worthy alternative, the major players would squash it with all the legal mustard they could muster for cutting into their profits.

2. By the time internet home is cheap enough for said "major players" to not care so much, even your most destitute netizen would prefer to pay a dollar a month to use slightly-more-secure private internet than a public network.

[Chris McDowell @ Jan 4th 2008 3:00PM]

The only reason why I would want a city wide wifi network is because it would be faster than edge. As soon as I can get decent speeds through the cellphone network I probably wouldnt use the free wifi which probably has an ad bar in a browser and limited use. The EDGE in my iPhone is alright but if they come out with a 3g speed and I can load pages as fast as at home then im set.

[hoplite @ Jan 4th 2008 3:40PM]

Carriers and cellular phone manufacturers have had 3G enabled service and devices for years. Just because your beloved iPhone doesn't have 3G doesn't mean no one with a cell phone has 3G. Why didn't you just save everyone time and write, "I really want a 3G iphone, but honestly i'd buy anything with an apple on it."

[Chris McDowell @ Jan 4th 2008 3:53PM]

Because the browsers on other phones that I have used are horrible. I know someone who works for Verizon and get to play with a new phone fairly often and have not really found anything very good. I had other phones before the iPhone and even a phone through work. All on different networks using diff tech. Opera browser is a bit better but it just does not feel quite right. I was saying that a wifi network for me would only be good while being out and about and I feel that the cellphone networks provide a better network. You dont have to attack someone for liking a product and wishing it had some improved features. The iPhone is the only phone I have found with a browser I like and I wish it had faster data. Why dont you save everyone some time and stop posting comments just to attack someone and not provide an opinion on the topic at hand.

[TC @ Jan 4th 2008 3:27PM]

It's not exactly free, it depends on enough of the population to purchase a $40 antenna to fill in the gaps and be willing to share their bandwidth. Not sure any of the major ISPs allow this in their contracts; I know AT&T doesn't.

[Paul Barwick @ Jan 5th 2008 4:15AM]

What the story didn't make clear is that in San Francisco Meraki will be providing the DLS lines and the equipment for free. Folks don't have to provide anything except for a rooftop space for an antenna. He is doing this because he wants to use San Francisco as a show place for his systems. So for us here in SF it is a great deal. Will I give up a bit of my roof to help wire SF? You bet.

[rcappo @ Jan 4th 2008 4:01PM]

WiMax will make this city/cable/phone/local ISP battle more interesting.

I wish I lived in a city with free internet. I pay enough in property taxes that I should get a free connection. Wait a second, I do get a free connection through the Panera Bread down the street.

I would also like to see Home Owner Associations setup their own WiMax networks. It still has to be unmonitored, unfiltered and anonymous, but it would be difficult to get high speed service for all if everyone if downloading DVDs and TV shows.

[Rockerfest @ Jan 4th 2008 4:36PM]

20 million dollars doesn't exactly sound like free to me.

[Khan @ Jan 4th 2008 5:47PM]

On the issue of saturation; why not just go for WiMax? That technology (once implemented) could potentially spell doom to GSM and CDMA based networks too.

[spyboy @ Jan 4th 2008 7:00PM]

There's a Meraki wifi setup in Manchester, NH courtesy of the DynDNS guys.

http://www.dynwifi.com/