"Wi-Fi's visionaries believe the technology
is more than an extension of the internet; it is a whole new level of information
exchange. Sascha Meinrath, president of the Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless
Network (CUWiN), an Illinois-based urban networking project, surmised: 'The
Internet wired geographical locations. Wireless connects individuals, and
it's a very different phenomenon.' Meinrath said he sees a 'battle brewing'
between the major telephone and cable companies on one hand and a rising generation
of digital progressives who champion community-based networks."
Michelle Chen of INTHEFRAY
and the Free
Expression Policy Project
in the online newsletter Dissident Voice