Politics & Government

FCC Considers Free National Public WiFi

Internet and phone bills may be a thing of the past if this proposal succeeds.

Believe it or not, free internet may be in your future. A report from the Chicago Tribune says the FCC is looking into the possibility of free public WiFi across much of the country.

While the proposal has thoroughly ruffled the $178 billion wireless industry, other big players such as Microsoft and Google support the idea, according to the report. They argue subsidization of this resource will lead to a new-age renaissance of development and innovation. Among the hidden benefits are big potential cost savings for local schools and businesses.

In addition to free web surfing, public WiFi could mean free phone calls, sophisticated healthcare monitoring and even driverless cars, according to the report.

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Should the proposal pass, it will still be several years before the entire network is up and the kinks are worked out. Still, it would be the first time in the world any government has provided free WiFi on a national level, according to the report.

Read the whole story on the Chicago Tribune's website

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