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Robert Winner

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National free WI-FI for the US

The FCC Chairman has suggested a national free WI-FI system that would be very powerful and available to all Americans.

The 198 Billion dollar cell phone, internet, etc .. industry is actively against this.

This could spur more innovation and WI-FI products.

What is the price tag for anything free from the government. Under Obamacare the government will have access to your bankaccount and this is a means of ensuring that .... and what else.

Just like Obamacare the question is would the federal government be joining a competative market for services. No doubt that we are being gouged, but it is a commercial competative private for profit industry.

Is this a good thing or another step to 1984 and Big Brother?

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  • Barry Palmer 50+

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    Feb 8 2013: I do not think this would be a big benefit to most consumers. I can get free Wi-Fi at the local coffee shop and many other places. Everything electronic is dropping in price so quickly that the private sector might be giving us free Wi-Fi soon, just as a means to sell applications and other services.

    The one aspect of this proposal that seems good to me is providing Wi-Fi to ALL areas of the country, including the most rural, and the remote villages of Alaska.

    Another aspect of this idea is that the government may have to provide a Wi-Fi network to all parts of the country for government and scientific purposes. (For example, for taking the census.) To do this, it might be spending 90% of what it would cost to provide free Wi-Fi to everyone.

    I think the government is already tapping into private Wi-Fi networks, so privacy is not much of an issue.
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      Robert Winner 50+

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      Feb 8 2013: Yeah, I think you are right the government is compiling all it wants. I am a computer user only ... I know very little about the WI FI, WLAN, etc ... To take anything to a single source, in my opinion is a dumb idea free or not. Competition always inspires updates and change. IF the government was the only provider could it then encript all IP uses to their frequency (or what ever its called) and enter the electronics market. If you do not join the "party" (government) then you could not play.

      One of my fears is that we continue to move toward government encroachment into the free market such as Obamacare did to the insurance and health industries. Is this a direct attack on the free market and capitalism itself?

      How would this impact our already failing economy? I can't see how it would help.

      It would be great to have all of the country covered and access provided.

      Thanks for the reply. Bob.

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