Could it make a difference?

Published 4/9/05

So Philly is aiming to to install wireless Internet connectivity available just about all over, and become the nation’s largest WiFi hotspot.

Okey doke, cool.

But then there’s this sentence from the article:

City officials estimate it will create 3,000 jobs, mostly by creating the type of city attractive to tech-savvy people who want to be connected to the Internet at all times.

They really think that 3,000 people will decide to come to Philly because it has wireless Net access? The kind of “tech-savvy” people they’re talking about will have high-speed access at home and at work, and I doubt they’ll be willing to pay $40 a month for access from parks and streetcorners.

It’s one thing to say that “a large network of bike trails will attract workers” or “having many varied cultural attractions will bring people in.”

But outdoor WiFi? That you have to pay for? Come on.

Yeah, it’s cool. But no way is it cool enough to attract people. They’ll go where the good job is, and I doubt this will even be a tipper one way or the other.

The Fray

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