Last year, a man was arrested in London for accessing the internet via someone else’s wireless connection. Now “borrowing” a stranger’s Wi-Fi could become the norm, and might even be encouraged.
Jon Crowcroft and Nishanth Sastry at the University of Cambridge have developed a “wireless cooperative” that allows people to share their Wi-Fi connection with strangers, securely and at no extra cost. It could enable cities to provide free, secure Wi-Fi coverage without needing to invest in expensive infrastructure.
Despite many promises, ubiquitous wireless internet remains a distant dream in most places. Planned city-wide Wi-Fi projects in Dublin, Ireland,…
