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Joined: Apr 2004
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Phatal Offline OP
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There is a new revolution brewing along Tallinn's ancient stone streets and inside its charming Gothic buildings.

But it is not political, it is technological.

Wireless net access, or wi-fi, is quickly becoming the rule, not exception, in the Estonian capital.

That is due largely to the hard work of Veljo Haamer, editor of the wifi.ee website.

Mr Haamer, a former computer science student and tutor, got turned on to wireless internet access a few years ago, after reading about projects in America.

He visited friends in the United States, learned more about wi-fi, and then decided to start his own project in Estonia.

Working with local net providers, Mr Haamer started pushing wi-fi as a cheap, effective way for Estonians to get online.

Electronic evangelism

"Wi-fi is such a wonderful technology," says Mr Haamer, as he types away on his laptop in one of Tallinn's swanky new cafes. "My job is simply to explain to people how easy it is to use."

The first wi-fi hotspots launched in the spring of 2001. Today, there are more than 280 throughout the country.

You can find access points in many of Estonia's cafes and pubs and two-thirds of them are free to use. Those that charge usually offer slightly faster connection speeds.

And more importantly, he says, the hotspots are clearly marked with orange and black signs and stickers.

Haamer says that in the US, many people did not know wireless access was available, because the hotspots were unmarked.

He was determined that would not happen in Estonia.

Even local petrol stations offer access, ensuring that Estonians car owners can check their e-mail on the road.

Mr Haamer convinced the major oil companies here, Neste and Statoil, to put in free hotspots. Wi-fi web access may add a bit to the price of the petrol being sold but the companies think of it as an add-on service.

The project has proven so successful, says Mr Haamer, that Statoil is thinking of expanding it to Latvia and Lithuania.

"I heard also that maybe Texaco will start this in Great Britain," he says with a bit of pride. "That means Estonia is like a starter for this idea."

Mr Haamer says he spends about half his time "wardriving", buzzing along Estonia's roads, trying to find out where wireless access is limited or non-existent.

He believes that about one-third of the country is still without wireless access and it is a problem that he wants to fix.

"We have so many people outside of towns who do not have internet connections," he says, "and wi-fi is a cheap possibility to give them the internet."

Rural retreat

The surge in wireless access hardly seems strange in a country that some have dubbed "E-stonia" for its hi-tech prowess.

After all, in Estonia the vast majority of the population does its banking online.

Drivers in Tallinn can pay for parking by simply sending a text message from their mobile phones.

Even the Estonian government has gone hi-tech. Cabinet ministers meet weekly in a room fitted with more than a dozen high-end computers, complete with flat screen monitors and broadband connections.

Linnar Viik, an adviser to the Estonian government and a lecturer at Estonia's technology college, has pushed hard over the years for the adoption of such technologies.

"It's not the technology that's so important," says Mr Viik.

"More important than putting a new piece of technology on a shelf and hitting the button is how people start to use it, and whether they embrace the change which is causing new processes, or new services [to be] available to people."

Many Estonians, especially the younger ones, are embracing wireless internet access wholeheartedly. That is especially true now that the economy is starting to improve, and more can afford laptops.

Cafes that offer free internet access are filled with young professionals checking email, surfing the web, and designing PowerPoint presentations.

This, Mr Haamer points out, is exactly what wi-fi is all about.

"You don't need to invest in an office anymore," he says Haamer. "You have an idea, a computer with a wireless card, and a space to work. You can use your time more efficiently."

If Mr Haamer has his way, you will not be able to take a walk in the park here without finding a wireless access point as his next project is to get free wi-fi in some of Tallinn's green spaces.

"It's a social and political project," Mr Haamer says. "People need to see how comfortable it is to use the internet."

You can view the original article here...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3673619.stm

Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 298
Phatal Offline OP
UGN News Staff
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 298
Guess where I'm moving?

Joined: Oct 2002
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the moon?

I can't guess where I am yet. I have to many options, and not enough time. It used to be the other way. That's how things work...wait...

japan, your moving to japan?

Cali has been doing this, as has Washington, and Oregon. Along with Arizona. I don't see a big push myself though. Accept for when ricochet was around broadband wireless isps in big cities only. I so wanted that back then.

"Electronic evangelism" nice

*big sigh* I hope we all notice that Europe, and japan are WAYYYYY ahead of us on this whole technologically advanced thing. Were just populous, and we started the Internet pretty much heh. Freakin arpanet. I bet some day other countries will disagree on this, just to be down on the us:) Heh, maybe not though. That whole rude to America thing died down a couple years ago. Now they just hate our government, and president. For the most part.

Know what's gonna own some day? Wireless Power. There were ideas introduced quite some time ago for this. I've seen it from my eyes watching literally go almost no where. It's that whole fry your body thing. Although they have quantum electronics of some sort now I heart, from someone on ugn, heh forgetful weeve.


"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 298
Phatal Offline OP
UGN News Staff
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UGN News Staff
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 298
Yes quantum electronics... you heard that from me... it's a story i posted about quantum cryptography devices. They only have a range of 120km and cost $50K each.


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