Free Wi-Fi Internet With Advertisement

[xxqq]

From Reuters:

Google has submitted a proposal to offer free, wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi) to the entire city of San Francisco," Google said in a statement. The Wi-Fi access could be funded through online advertising, a Google spokesman said. The service aims to test a range of new services and applications around the hilly city, which is home to more than 700,000 residents. Offering free wireless communications could thrust Google into competition with entrenched local suppliers of broadband Internet access, including telephone network SBC Communications and local cable operator Comcast.

My questions:
1. Will google provide client software/special browser for Linux?
2. What about the speed of internet access?
3. Will this new ISP business model work?
4. Can google pay for the internet fee from the advertisement revenue?
5. Can google recover their invesment in this project?

Thank you.

[a thing]

1. Why would they? Just find their network on your wireless device.
2. Ionno.
3. I'm not sure about this, but don't a lot of countries just give away Internet access? It's about time it happened in the US.
4. They're rich and they're gonna get richer the same way they got rich.
5. Probably.

IMO Google's amazing. They made a lot of money from the Internet without annoying the hell out of everyone.

[Nihilanth]

I remember reading something about google looking into buying a LOT of moneys worth of something or other internet related, and now this. I wish I lived in a big city more and more every day.

[logan5]

As for the speed, this article says that

The company has submitted a plan to cover 95 percent of San Francisco with 300kpbs wireless Internet access, at no charge either to users or to the city.

http://www.linuxpipeline.com/blog/ar..._in_the_a.html

[SpaceSquad]

holy crap thats awesome!