According to TelecomTV, "T-Mobile USA this morning published the first user statistics for its Wi-Fi fast Internet access service. It shows that 450,000 people paid to use the service over the past three months. The fact that T-Mobile USA, hitherto extremely coy about publishing Wi-Fi user statistics, has now made its last quarter�s figures available is evidence that the carrier believes the technology is being taken up by enough users for to be regarded as a real service with a real potential to make real money. Previously the operator had refused to provide any guidance as to the number of users of its system and services and even now will not give comparative figures that show the difference between the number of users last year and this, leading to inevitable speculation that a twelve months ago its user base consisted of two men and an educated dachshund called Ferdy."
Try to imagine this scenario, that General Motors and Ford were given exclusive franchises to build America's interstate highway system, and also all the highways that connect local communities. Now imagine that, based upon a financial crisis, these troubled companies decided to convert all "their" local arteries into toll-roads -- they then use incremental toll fees to severely limit all travel to and from small businesses. Why? This handicapping process reduced the need to invest in building better new roads, or repairing the dilapidated ones. But, wouldn't that short-sighted decision have a detrimental impact on the overall national economy? It's a moot point -- pure fantasy -- you say. The U.S. political leadership would never knowingly risk the nation's social and economic future on the financial viability of a restrictive duopoly. Or, would they? The 21st century Global Networked Economy travels across essential broadband infrastructure. The forced intro...