The article mentions that sort of "free wifi" (free as in "free with the purchase of a coffee or food"), but seems to be much more about things like Municipal Wifi (Free wifi for anyone in the city), and ad-hoc wifi.
I also miss the period where it seemed like we might get actual city-wide free-wifi meshes in major metropolitan areas, but alas, it is not to be. Cafe wifi does not replace public utilities.
> It put into perspective how much the US's focus on individualization removes the warm feeling of camaraderie.
Sorry, what? Large US cities, like SF, basically every cafe has wifi too.
A for-profit business offering wifi doesn't exactly give me a feeling of camaraderie, rather the opposite. Offering wifi is a way to ensure people talk to each other even less.
I assume you're getting downvoted because you're relaying a personal anecdote that isn't all that relevant, and also frankly just comes off as an excuse to make a dig at the US that doesn't really make sense ("Did you know cafes have wifi in vietnam? Doesn't america individualism suck?").
Pune, a city in India, experimented with a city-wide WiFi[1] in 2007. I think it didn't work out.
I've heard that in the remote hills/villages of India, there are WiFi routers deployed to connect the people there where phone/cell reception is bad or not available. These WiFi services helps with commerce, especially UPI[2] Payments.
I also miss the period where it seemed like we might get actual city-wide free-wifi meshes in major metropolitan areas, but alas, it is not to be. Cafe wifi does not replace public utilities.
> It put into perspective how much the US's focus on individualization removes the warm feeling of camaraderie.
Sorry, what? Large US cities, like SF, basically every cafe has wifi too.
A for-profit business offering wifi doesn't exactly give me a feeling of camaraderie, rather the opposite. Offering wifi is a way to ensure people talk to each other even less.
I assume you're getting downvoted because you're relaying a personal anecdote that isn't all that relevant, and also frankly just comes off as an excuse to make a dig at the US that doesn't really make sense ("Did you know cafes have wifi in vietnam? Doesn't america individualism suck?").