This is a situation crafted by ISPs to ensure everyone has to pay them individually. There was a time when wifi was being thought of more like water fountains in US buildings or public roads. People used to intentionally provide free internet access to others on a broad scale, but greed and fear inevitably took over. We could have ubiquitous open wifi if we chose to, and i would argue we are already collectively paying for the necessary hardware.

There has been a cultural corrosion of the public space and how it is though about in general. For example, libraries don't have "customers". They are services to the pubic with the mission of providing information access. If any place should have free wifi it's a library.

>This is a situation crafted by ISPs to ensure everyone has to pay them individually. There was a time when wifi was being thought of more like water fountains in US buildings or public roads.

What is this mythical "time" of which you speak?

Internet service providers have costs, and pass them along to their customers

You can dislike that if you want, but it doesn't change reality

You pay for water

You pay for gas

You pay for what you use - as you should

>For example, libraries don't have "customers". They are services to the pubic with the mission of providing information access.

Libraries call their "customers" "patrons" or "members"

Sidebar - your myopic view of libraries as only those which are "public" is telling

Governments and technology companies baulk on about providing wifi to undervalued communities across the world in the name of progress and development. Of course Wifi should be free because your taxes paid for the infrastructure, same goes for energy and water utilities, they should also be provided at no cost to ordinary users.

“your taxes” didn’t pay for the build out of the modern internet infrastructure.

Private corporations get big tax breaks and government investment at your expense pals.

LOL

>Of course Wifi should be free because your taxes paid for the infrastructure, same goes for energy and water utilities, they should also be provided at no cost to ordinary users.

My "taxes" didn't pay for any of that - it's all done by private industry

But thanks for playing