Is WiFi The Next Dot Com Bubble?

from the it's-gotta-be-somewhere dept

Mon, May 19th 2003 2:23am — Mike Masnick

Here's some more WiFi backlash, as some are saying that WiFi is just another dot com bubble, with plenty of people pouring money into projects with little or no business models. I have mixed opinions on these stories - but the "dot com bubble" angle, might be at least somewhat accurate. There certainly are a lot of people investing in very questionable WiFi-based business models - many of which are clearly going to fail (some of which already have). However, just like the internet, that doesn't mean there isn't a really huge opportunity for those who get it right and really understand where to position themselves. The trick is not just believing in WiFi for the sake of WiFi, but understanding why and how it's really valuable, and determining how to be involved in making that aspect better, easier, cheaper or faster. There are going to be plenty of WiFi-related failures, and plenty of people will declare WiFi dead or overhyped - but users are going to keep on using it, and that's an opportunity.

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dorpus, 19 May 2003 @ 3:04am

What about extreme wavelengths
When can wi-fi use the same frequences as short wave radio to communicate across continents? Or the very long wavelengths used by submarines to communicate from underwater? Then we won't have to have complex relay networks to get around physical barriers.
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Anonymous Coward, 19 May 2003 @ 6:22am

No Subject Given
What galls me is that the cost of WiFi to a business is almost nothing - a business DSL line from SBC (384k/6Mb) is $140/mo and an access point is less than $100. So why gouge for $10 per person per night at a hotel or $6/hr at a cafe? Compared to Home DSL at $50/mo this is a total ripoff.

I know a bar that did the math and decided to give free WiFi access. They figured that selling ~10 extra beers a week covers the cost of the DSL they already had installed for standard business access.

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Georgeg100, 19 May 2003 @ 12:44pm

Re: What about extreme wavelengths
You may have to consider that a lot of the comms to submarines is "secure" and I don't think they would take nicely to sharing the spectrum. I think the real issue is that the carriers have not figured out a good money making scheme yet for the 0's and 1's we want we to move. Once they figure out how to make money (easily) you will be surprised at how much spectrum will be available. Think in terms of our snail mail system and the FEDEX, UPS etc. How much and how fast do you want it will be the mantras in the future. Not what is the frequency....
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