[This is a short series I'm doing about this act. This is my opinion, and in no way represents the opinion or stance of WWU as a whole or in part, nor does it imply anything about our lobbying efforts. This is editorial.]
Part 2: Coffee Shop Access
Coffee Shop Wifi is axiomatic. IF Coffee THEN Wifi. It just works that way. Coffee shops were among the first public hotspots out there. It just goes with the business model.
Getting wifi in your independently owned coffee shop is very simple. Get a business internet connection of some kind, an off-the-shelf wifi router/AP of some kind, set it to open, and go. Done! Very little maintenance needed. Just the kind of low margin value-add needed to keep butts in seats and swilling coffee, while nibbling on high margin baked goods.
The big boys of the coffee business, Starbucks, Dunn Brothers, and their ilk, tend to partner with the big wifi providers like T-Mobile. Their internet isn't free, but at least the home office doesn't have to track umpty thousand individual broadband connections and troubleshoot wireless equipment failures; they just pay the national company to do that.
The Internet SAFETY Act would force the free-access shops to sign with one of the big boys of wifi. Coffee shops are pretty clearly commercial interests, and they really do use the internet connection as a key value-add to keep customers. Your average independent coffee shop doesn't have the technical moxy to even try and handle the authentication problem. It would be far simpler to sign a contract with a T-Mobile, and let them handle the problem. The internet wouldn't be free, but at least it wouldn't be absent which is worse.
The Internet SAFETY Act would be the final death of free wifi in coffee shops. One of the ways the independents distinguish themselves from the large chains is that their internet is free, where you have to pay to access in the Starbucks down the street. This act would remove that small business incentive.
Part 2: Coffee Shop Access
Coffee Shop Wifi is axiomatic. IF Coffee THEN Wifi. It just works that way. Coffee shops were among the first public hotspots out there. It just goes with the business model.
Getting wifi in your independently owned coffee shop is very simple. Get a business internet connection of some kind, an off-the-shelf wifi router/AP of some kind, set it to open, and go. Done! Very little maintenance needed. Just the kind of low margin value-add needed to keep butts in seats and swilling coffee, while nibbling on high margin baked goods.
The big boys of the coffee business, Starbucks, Dunn Brothers, and their ilk, tend to partner with the big wifi providers like T-Mobile. Their internet isn't free, but at least the home office doesn't have to track umpty thousand individual broadband connections and troubleshoot wireless equipment failures; they just pay the national company to do that.
The Internet SAFETY Act would force the free-access shops to sign with one of the big boys of wifi. Coffee shops are pretty clearly commercial interests, and they really do use the internet connection as a key value-add to keep customers. Your average independent coffee shop doesn't have the technical moxy to even try and handle the authentication problem. It would be far simpler to sign a contract with a T-Mobile, and let them handle the problem. The internet wouldn't be free, but at least it wouldn't be absent which is worse.
The Internet SAFETY Act would be the final death of free wifi in coffee shops. One of the ways the independents distinguish themselves from the large chains is that their internet is free, where you have to pay to access in the Starbucks down the street. This act would remove that small business incentive.