Beijing Introduces Free Citywide Wireless Internet

Danwei:

June 25 is first day in the test phase of the 'Beijing Wicity Project' which aims to provide citizen's wireless internet access in much of downtown Beijing. According to the news, the wireless internet service will be free until after the Olympics games.

Beijing Wicity is a CHINACOMM (中电华通) project. Initially they aim to cover around 100 square kilometers: much of downtown Beijing including the area along the second and third ring roads, CBD, Financial Street, Zhongguancun district and Wangjing.

Read the whole story: Danwei

Comments

[loki]

Some of my friends in China and especially in Beijing think this is only for the Olympics. After that it will turn to pay wifi services in all but the wealthiest parts of the city. Just like things work in the US isnt it.

What is more ironic, many Chinese citizens cant really afford a laptop, much less a PC. They must use Internet Cafes or work computers to do most of their internet surfing. When a laptop cost hundreds of dollars , and many make the equivalent of $100 a month or less, it just doesnt do much good for the public . This is a feel good Olympics event. After that is over, things will return to normal. Like I said, they sure have learned a lot form the US capitalist havent they.

[Tom95134]

Great!! You'll be able to connect using WiFi to a network whose access outside the country is totally controlled and its content is censored by the Chinese government

[JScott]

And don't forget the internet is still censored over there, all traffic has to go thru proxy servers.
Hope the smart folks know how to work around that.
Try googling 'Falun Gong' there, you'll see, stil the same old same old.....

[Rockwell]

So how come the commies can do it but the great capitalist engine can't seem to get 'er done? Pretty embarassing.

[loki]

because the capitalist cant see a way to make billions over night off of a 100 thousand dollar investment. Chinese are only doing it free for the games, then it will be a pay service. But they know they will gain profits over the long term and are not as worried about over night mega wealth as we are here. Also, its the US capitalist who are giving the Chinese trillions in income every year that allows them to do just this. It is our money, paying for the Chinese WiFi if you think about it. Shop at Walmart and another wifi antenna goes up in Beijing. Problem is that on what Chinese workers make, they cant afford the laptop to access the wifi system while its still free.

[Rockwell]

Excellent points, Loki

[watchingthings]

They hope people who come to the Olympics will think that Beijing is a very progressive city. They even took 3 million cars off the streets for the Olympics so the tourists won't have to feel their way around the city in masks during the Olympics. [smog even made it's way to North America, across the pacific at times]