Josh Ourisman says the Druid in Inman Square has the best shepherd's pie he's ever had - and free wireless to boot.

CNet: FCC: Boston airport can't block airline's Wi-Fi:

Markj is happy:

... Finally, Boston may get a chance to catch up with all of the other places that have free WiFi at the airport, with no thanks to AssPort. ...

In what is supposed to be a public place, it seems absurd to pay for wireless access, especially in a city that's supposed to be a high-tech leader.

Herald Managing Editor Joe Dwinell checks in from the Quincy Market rotunda, where he files a blog post via the marketplace's free WiFi - and where he learns from a visiting Mayo Clinic physician that the wireless service won't be giving him a brain tumor:

... He has pulled up a seat next to me to blog along. He's also asking about Mitt Romney and how a liberal Massachusetts can elect a Mormon Republican. Checks and balances, I say. ...

John Keith explains why:

... Free and low-cost wireless is available - I use it all the time, at the public libraries in Copley Square and in the South End. Starbucks has monthly plans costing $29.99 and $39.99. The city has also announced plans to install wireless along its "Main Streets."

If there was a demand for wireless access, throughout the city, you can bet that a private company would have already entered the market.

That no one has, shows there is really no interest in this, beyond a few, good-intentioned, but misguided politicians. ...

The Boston Globe ran a story today titled "If we're Tech City, where's our WiFi?"

''No one's stepping up," said Michael Oh, a local technology executive and cofounder of the Boston Wireless Advocacy Group, a loose crew of volunteers pushing for more wireless access around town. "Boston is behind the curve on this compared to other cities."

Read the full story at boston.com.

John isn't buying Massport's contention that it had to shut down free Wi-Fi competitors to its paid service at Logan for public-safety reasons:

... Critical public safety communications? This is about homeland security? Please. They must think we're idiots.

Continental Airlines is fighting for their right to offer free WiFi (info below) at Boston's Logan Airport.

To support free WiFi at Logan Airport and to prevent a chilling precedent in FCC policy, please submit a public comment to the FCC. This PDF has instructions for submitting comments, both by e-mail and snail mail.

[via Pat McCormick]

Article at Cnet:

Boston's Logan International Airport is attempting to pull the plug on Continental Airlines' free Wi-Fi node, which competes with the airport's $7.95-a-day pay service.

The Daily Item had a story yesterday about Philadelphia's plans to move forward with it's citywide Wi-Fi initiative. Thanks to Steve Ronan for the pointer to the article.

Wireless Philadelphia has chosen three finalists to design, deploy and maintain high-speed wireless Internet access in the city: consortiums led by AT&T, Hewlett-Packard and Earthlink.

When I went down to Rozzie Square today for my weekly fix of chicken massaman curry, I took my laptop to try out this newfangled city-sponsored Wi-Fi hotspot. Bottom line: I should have left the laptop at home.

The full report:

According to an Intel survey, 12 metro regions have better overall wireless connectivity than Boston - including Minneapolis, Denver and Toledo, Ohio:

... Survey findings are based on the number of commercial and public or "free" wireless Internet access points (hotspots), airports with wireless Internet access, and broadband availability. The survey also included community wireless Internet access points, local wireless networks and wireless e-mail devices. ...