Google close to launching free wireless Internet in hometown

Google's had rumblings in the market for quite some time about the possibility of offering free wireless Internet across the nation. While that rumor continues to be up in the air with Google CEO Eric Schmidt saying that Google does not plan on being a "service provider", that stance has changed in Google's headquarters hometown, Mountain View, California. Google's test run in Mountain View with its freely-available WiFi wireless Internet network has been performed without any major setbacks, setting the stage for a possible public release soon.

Free wireless Internet access for Mountain View residents (1,000 of whom are Google employees) and visitors is a mighty treat. Talk about the cable companies and DSL providers feeling a little heat soon. Although "Google WiFi" won't come with live-human technical support, the service appears to be already functioning in a large way ahead of its official "end of summer" deadline for public release.

With WindowsXP and the newest version of MacOS X, WiFi networking is so easy that it's hard to imagine many Google WiFi customers needing technical support beyond the inevitable question "what happens if my signal is low" and so forth. This new free service from Google surely will make the Mountain View area happy except for those first-time wireless Internet users that may have setup difficulty. Will Google duplicate this effort in more areas? If so, that'll be a pinch on Google's cash. If you're a Mountain View resident, does the Google WiFi service serve up Google ads as well even if you're not on the Google network? Write to me below and let me know.

Brian White has worked in various executive positions in technology and telecommunications and now focuses on editing and writing.