 | | No. No.
Seriously though...the percentage of folks who'd have access to free ISP-provided wifi has to be minuscule. | |
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 |  JeffreyConnoisseur of leisurely thingsPremium
join:2002-12-24
Long Island
kudos:3
 ·Verizon FiOS
 ·Vonage
| Re: No. Nope. If they have it, it's a bonus. It's not a deal-breaker or maker. Reliability, speed, price. If they have Wi-Fi, great, but not a big concern for me.
I have been a CV subscriber (again) for 9 months now, and I've used the wi-fi once.
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"Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy." - George Carlin | |
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| |  en102Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA | Re: No. Exactly. AT&T offers free WiFi on its Uverse, yet I have TWC, as the total package is a bit cheaper. | |
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|  Matt3All noise, no signal.Premium
join:2003-07-20
Jamestown, NC
kudos:12 | said by Hazy Arc:No. Seriously though...the percentage of folks who'd have access to free ISP-provided wifi has to be minuscule. I agree. I could care less. Perhaps if I lived in Manhattan and the streets were blanketed with it, sure. But on the go 3G is usually good enough. | |
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| | | said by Hazy Arc:No. Seriously though...the percentage of folks who'd have access to free ISP-provided wifi has to be minuscule. Furthermore, the percentage of people who'd have a choice in the matter of what ISP they desire is probably even smaller. | |
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Its pointless, I never use it, too much hassle trying to connect and to find some place that has it.
I have an iphone and I use 3g on it when Im out, its more annoying to connect to wifi on the iphone because if Im walking around and its constantly just connecting to a wifi hotspot as I walk out of range of it, this is why I leave wifi off.
The only time it is useful is when its in a hotel, and even then its usually slow, too weak of a signal, or it costs $$ a fee each day. | |
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 kapilThe Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL | It's a nice perk... ...but not a deal breaker!
Probably more important if you travel a lot or have UMA service from your cell phone provider...but I couldn't care less.
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»www.VoIPTrunk.com | |
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|  bigunkGort, Klattu Birada Nikto
join:2001-02-10
USA | Re: It's a nice perk... Just curious. What does UMA stand for? I got it. I use it. But, what's it mean? | |
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| | | | Re: It's a nice perk... Unlicensed Mobile Access | |
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| | Nope If free wi-fi was a scarce commodity, maybe it would, but I can get it most everywhere I need it, so that isn't a consideration for me. I get free wi-fi with my AT&T DSL, and I've never once needed to use it. The only place here I'd even want to is B&N, and they just started offering it for free. | |
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bigjimc
join:2003-04-21
Middleboro, MA
1 edit | Not a Biggy Unless.... If you need it.
I know the free wifi locations in the rural area I work, play and live. So it is not a big deal but if the local coffee shop, Panera Bread or my friends didn't have it and I needed it, it would be annoying.
My local town hall does not have wifi but it is available 420 feet away. Sitting in a meeting requires me to use my palm to get important docs but free ISP wifi would never get close to the town hall either. | |
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 BenPremium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL | Not at all. To me, free Wi-Fi hot spots via an ISP make no difference to me. All that matters is the sheer speed, caps (if there are any), and artificially imposed restrictions (if any).
Why? First of all, I don't have a laptop. Even if I did, the number of locations served with any free Wi-Fi are limited.
I live too far out from the C.O. for DSL. But, even if I could get it and get the free Wi-Fi, so what? As far as I know, it's offered only at McDonald's (I don't eat there), or Starbucks. As for Starbucks I don't go there and sit for hours. I go in, and at most it's 10 minutes later and I'm out with a cup of coffee. Maybe some airports as well? Oh well because I don't fly.
Basically, the areas of coverage covered by the free Wi-Fi are just too limited to make any difference.
That and even if I did have a laptop, some businesses even offer free Wi-Fi for their customers, regardless of what ISP they happen to have at home.
My mobile phone has Wi-Fi, but again oh well. Not enough areas have Wi-Fi, so I never even bother to turn the Wi-Fi on. That just uses up the battery quicker, anyway. | |
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| | Things being equal, yes. Yep, other things being equal (let's say price, speed, reliability) I would absolutely choose an ISP that offers free wi-fi over one that doesn't.
While Verizon's DSL speed specifications aren't that remarkable, I'd say their lower price + free wifi gives them an edge over Comcast. | |
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|  R4M0NBrazilian Soccer Ownz Joo
join:2000-10-04
Glen Allen, VA | Re: Things being equal, yes. Same here... I'd consider it a tie-breaker, but not a feature I'd be looking for. | |
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 kyler13Is your fiber grounded?
join:2006-12-12
Arnold, MD | Certainly Not If I was a laptop user on-the-go, I'd say "maybe, for now". But LTE is gonna make public Wi-Fi an afterthought in another 2 years. Provided you can tether to your phone (and you're not downloading HD full-feature films daily), you'll have much more freedom to pull data at wireless-G-like speeds without needing to be within x number of feet from a hotspot. | |
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 SLDPremium
join:2002-04-17
San Francisco, CA | No. Can I just have my dumb-pipe please!?! | |
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| | yes For me free wifi is a big deal (i mean really free not only for certain customers like verizon is doing).
With having an iphone the cablevision wireless is a big deal. | |
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| | Not at all Although I do use it I wouldn't pay extra for it or factor it as a decision in ISP selection. | |
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| | Nope but... I'd rather have free WWAN. 
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Splat | |
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 maartenaElmoPremium
join:2002-05-10
Orange, CA
kudos:1 | Nope The only thing I could really care for is free wireless on airports. And quite frankly, it doesn't bother me the slightest if there isn't any, as I travel only a few times a year at most.
For my home ISP, I could really care less. I have my own wireless router which works in every location of the house, both front and back yards, and easily in the neighbors house/yard as well. (secured of course).
It may be a nice perk to have.... but I wouldn't be choosing an ISP over it.
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"I reject your reality and substitute my own!" | |
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me1212
join:2008-11-20
Pleasant Hill, MO | No. I don't care if the ISP I use does not have wifi, I have my dumb(read smart) pipe. | |
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brad
join:2007-09-06
Etobicoke, ON | linksys ISP That's one shitty ISP. | |
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| b10010011Whats a Posting tag?
join:2004-09-07
Bellingham, WA | Re: linksys ISP Maybe so, but they have the best coverage of any WISP.  | |
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| | Via La France In France, subscribers to the French ISP Free get nearly nationwide roaming access to Free. Every Free cable box has a small public access ap built in. Access to that account is not attributed to the subscriber and doesn't come out of his/her megabytes. Using a legitimately borrowed Free Paris account, my brother had no problem logging on in a Southern French town on the Atlantic coast. He had four or five APs which reached into his rented apartment and great speed. If Verizon offered a service like that, I'd be tempted. It would allow me to ditch this expensive cellular data card. Oh wait a minute, that would give Verizon a huge conflict of interest. Hmm. | |
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Icynav
join:2005-10-31
Deer Park, NY | For me, yes* I've been a CV customer for more than 10 years now and have no intentions of switching ISPs for a couple reasons and the offering of "free" WiFi is one. I use it on a regular basis, I'm actually on my iPhone connected to Optimum WiFi posting this. I find there WiFi to be faster (I've run speedtests quite a few times at diff locations and always get 3/1.5), more reliable than others and way more accessible. | |
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bemis
join:2008-07-18
Reading, MA Reviews:
 ·Comcast
·Verizon FiOS
| No Until the offered wi-fi blankets more areas, no, it does not affect my decision.
Currently it's fairly worthless being only at select bookstores and chain cafe's ... they need to focus more on covering larger public expanses before it will be worthwhile, and good lord NO "the mall" is not where I want it | |
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 frankenfeet934 is 10-8Premium
join:2001-10-14
Smiths Grove, KY | Free Wifi? Free Wifi is one thing, but I'd rather be given a choice of ISP's. Most people have to take what they get, and don't have the benefit of choosing ISP's. Especially in most rural markets.
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ƒ ℜ λ η κ ε ℵ ƒ € ∃ † | |
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| | I Wish! I wish free WiFi was an option I'd consider when deciding on an ISP, but in my part of New York we can only choose Cablevision! It is really, really disheartening to not have a choice other than Cablevision. They recently had troubles with the digital transition, messing up channels and internet service left and right! Give me the option and I'll definitely consider free WiFi! | |
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 DC DSLThere's a reason I'm Command.Premium
join:2000-07-30
Washington, DC
kudos:2
 ·Covad Communicat..
·Verizon Online DSL
| Newp. Since you have to go to specific locations that aren't necessarily convenient, not at all. Now, if they would offer free, or dramatically cheaper 3G (as in maybe $1 per 24 hours only when used) for DSL subs, that might influence me.
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There is no giant fur-bearing trout. | |
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