Economic Aspects of Wi-Fi

Economic Aspects of Wi-Fi
Can using 802.11 applications save subscribers money? Can it make money for service providers? Does
it significantly lower barriers to entry to the broadband Internet market? The absence of cabling and
obtaining rights-of-way are the first indications of potential savings in the installation of a network.
Perhaps one of the strongest arguments in favor of 802.11 is that it presents a potential cost-effective
means of offering broadband Internet service to a mass market with the least expense in infrastructure
relative to wired technologies (twisted-pair copper, coax cable, and fiber to the home). This low cost in
infrastructure promotes the deployment of 802.11 services by less well capitalized entrepreneurs,
municipal networks, and even free-net community networks built and maintained by volunteers. The
growth of 802.11 networks is often described as being "viral" (that is, unplanned) or "grassroots."