October 4th, 2005
Google says SF Wi-Fi could be "ad-supported"
As I wrote over the weekend, Google has thrown their hat in the ring to build a citywide Wi-Fi network in San Francisco.
We now know that proposal is one of 24 turned into the city-a city where Mayor Gavin Newsom says that "it is a to me a fundamental right to have access universally to information."
Newsom added in a Monday news conference that his intent is to have taxpayers "pay little or nothing" for the service.
Now here’s the pointer to Google’s strategy to win the contract.
According to Reuters, "one company, which (City of San Francisco director of telecommunication and information services Chris) Vein declined to name, has proposed an advertising-supported plan for free wireless access."
The report goes on to say that a Google spokesperson has confirmed that its W-Fi access proposal could be funded through online advertising.
Yes, I said it before and will say it again. Envision sitting in Union Square, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, or Outer Richmond, for that matter. You log on to Google Wi-Fi and since it knows your node, it feeds you geographically relevant AdWords or AdSense ads both at start-up and as you use Google -while you are surfing.
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
