MakeUseOf: How to Find Free Unlimited Wi-Fi Internet Access Almost Anywhere. “WiFi certainly doesn’t come cheap, but in a pinch, there are quite a few ways to find free WiFi, no matter where you are. You can use WiFi Hotspot Finders and arm yourself with information before you set out for the day to find free WiFi.” Obviously free WiFi has security issues, but this article links to a couple of other articles addressing that.
internet access
Pew: Internet Connectivity Seen as Having Positive Impact on Life in Sub-Saharan Africa
Pew (PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW!): Internet Connectivity Seen as Having Positive Impact on Life in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced dramatic gains in internet use in recent years. With this rapid growth in connectivity have come a host of potential problems, including fake news, political targeting and manipulation and financial scams, among others. Yet according to a new Pew Research Center analysis, most sub-Saharan Africans feel positively about the role the internet plays in their country.”
The Wire: Internet Taxes Could Stifle Africa’s Free and Vibrant Social Media
The Wire: Internet Taxes Could Stifle Africa’s Free and Vibrant Social Media. “The government of Benin has cancelled a recent decree that imposed a tax on users of platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. Known as ‘over-the-top’ platforms, they can deliver media content directly to users without using traditional telecommunications infrastructure such as terrestrial broadcast or satellite signals. Local and international activists protested against the decree in Benin arguing that it was a blatant attack on the freedom of expression and net neutrality.”
Engadget: Canada launches fund to guarantee faster broadband in rural areas
Engadget: Canada launches fund to guarantee faster broadband in rural areas. “Canada’s CRTC set an aggressive target for the minimum definition of broadband in rural areas, but now appears to have backed off a bit, at least to start. With the launch of the $750 million Broadband Fund, it has set the minimum speed at 25 Mbps download and 5 Mbps uploads, exactly half the speed target of 50/10 Mbps it set earlier.” The CRTC in this case is the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.
Africa Newsroom: In Ethiopia, mobile internet cut in the capital amid clashes and protests
Africa Newsroom: In Ethiopia, mobile internet cut in the capital amid clashes and protests. “The Committee to Protect Journalists today urged Ethiopian authorities to ensure internet is available, including during times of unrest when access to information provided by journalists is crucial. Mobile internet was unavailable in the capital Addis Abba, from September 17 to the morning of September 19 amid protests and clashes, according to media reports and Berhan Taye, who leads Access Now’s #KeepItOn campaign against internet shutdowns, which CPJ is part of.”
Pew: About a quarter of rural Americans say access to high-speed internet is a major problem
Pew (PEW PEW PEW PEW PEW!): About a quarter of rural Americans say access to high-speed internet is a major problem. “Fast, reliable internet service has become essential for everything from getting news to finding a job. But 24% of rural adults say access to high-speed internet is a major problem in their local community, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted earlier this year.”
Harvard Business Review: Why Google Fiber Is High-Speed Internet’s Most Successful Failure
Harvard Business Review: Why Google Fiber Is High-Speed Internet’s Most Successful Failure . “In 2010, Google rocked the $60 billion broadband industry by announcing plans to deploy fiber-based home internet service, offering connections up to a gigabit per second — 100 times faster than average speeds at the time. Google Fiber, as the effort was named, entered the access market intending to prove the business case for ultra-high-speed internet. After deploying to six metro areas in six years, however, company management announced in late 2016 that it was ‘pausing’ future deployments.”
