Free internet in the future?

[jbayabas]

Our technology has improved widely, is it possible that someday in the far future, the internet will become free worldwide and for everyone as Google would want it to be? I think publishers would benefit greatly. Since the recession, internet users have dwindled and Adsense earnings continue to go down.

Is the future bright?

[HuskyPup]

Is the future bright?

Is it Orange?

For those not in the know this has been a slogan for Orange telephones for years:

"The future's bright, the future's Orange"

the internet will become free worldwide and for everyone as Google would want it to be?

Firstly I have no idea what you think Google has to do with it being free, the last thing they want are free advertisements otherwise AdWords would not exist and they wouldn't have a cash mountain!

Secondly, I don't know where you live but apart from my connection to the Net plus my equipment, it's always been free.

There has been talk in the past about a www2 being a business web however I haven't heard anything about that since broadband became much more commonplace.

Now if the question were "Is the future bright for AdSensers?" then you would have gotten a completely different response from me!

[tbear]

I may be wrong, but I believe jbayabas is referring to Internet access

[topr8]

if you mean by free, not paying for your internet connection (eg to your telecoms company)

then i don't htink it will be helpful, if you can't afford an internet connection then you are hardly going to buy any goods online either.

internet connections become cheaper as the market matures, i was first online in 1999 with a dial up connection, shortly after i got a permanent connection (still low bandwidth) which was over $75 a month, many years later i pay less than half this for a very fast connection and a quality service - and many people pay a lot less than i do in my country for a fast connection.

>Is the future bright?

yes, ever since i've been in retail (which is quite some time!) there have people been doing well and others struggling, it is no different today - the moaners often make the loudest noise, those doing well tend to keep quiet about it.

[netmeg]

Electricity ain't free.

(Not here, anyway)

[incrediBILL]

Is the future bright?

It'll be very bright if we perish in a supernova as some scientists speculate.

[edited by: incrediBILL at 8:21 am (utc) on Mar 27, 2012]

[IanCP]

NOTHING in life is free. Sometimes "smarties" engineer things to merely appear that way.

[Edge]

Nothing is free - somebody, some how pays for it..

[jbayabas]

Yes, I was referring to Internet access.

I believe Internet access will be free in the future similar to television when it was first invented until cable came along.

I just had my iphone 4S and I'm amazed how much it can do. I can access the internet anywhere but it's not free as I have to subscribe to mobile services.

Also bought an Apple TV which I believe is the future of television. It has no browsing capability yet but soon I'm sure it will. And it will be very good for my adsense income.

People who does not have internet can afford to buy stuff but because of the economy they have to get rid of things that is not necessary like cable and internet, etc.

I hope someday Google will come up of a technology where every one can browse the internet for free. But I guess big TV and Cellphone companies are stopping them.

[IanCP]

"similar to television when it was first invented until cable came along"

Britain had [and stupidly still do have TV licenses].

In 1956 Australia had TV licenses until a new Labor government realised in 1972 that TV stations were earning a "motza" in advertising.

They introduced substantial licence fees - even my annual $50.00+ licence fee as VK2TIP and totally dropped "licence fees".

You watch free TV? You're brainwashed by commercials, as in print newspapers. When you buy a product? You pay a premium for "advertising" in your purchase price.

Nothing is ever for free.

[topr8]

Britain had [and stupidly still do have TV licenses].

personally i think the tv license is a good thing, you've also contradicted yourself 'You watch free TV? You're brainwashed by commercials' ... surely, being able to watch tv without being brainwashed by commercials is a good thing?

back to the OP, it was said at one time that the london borough of K&C was planning to supply free wireless internet access in some areas at least - not sure how far the plan got, but i'm sure as time goes on there will be more and more 'free' internet available, already many coffee shops give free access for instance.

>>Also bought an Apple TV which I believe is the future of television. It has no browsing capability yet but soon I'm sure it will. And it will be very good for my adsense income.

i get what you are saying, but be careful what you wish for you might find that devises such as this might in the future allow browsing but to a restricted subset of websites ... it might not help your adsense earnings at all, unless you are one of the sites allowed.

[Lame_Wolf]

It'll be very bright if we perish in a supernova as some scientists speculate.

I am surprised a scientist would speculate such a thing. Anyone with an interest in the universe will know that all life on Earth would be non-existent long before the plantet becomes a supernova.

Then there is the possibility of the sun dying out before our planet goes supernova. In which case, all life on earth will be frazzled.

And of course, the Earth's closest moon (there are five in total) that is slowly moving away from Earth. It will eventually leave our gravitational pull and we'll no longer have tides etc... and life on Earth will slowly die out.

[jecasc]

Personally I think phone calls and internet will be free in the sense that you won't have to pay money anymore.

Of course providers "may" collect certain information to improve your user experience, like a recording of all your phone calls and all the websites you visit.

This information "may" be stored and "may" be shared with third parties. However you can be assured that all this information will only be collected to provide, maintain, protect and improve the services of the provider, to develop new ones, and of course to protect you - the user.

[StoutFiles]

Sure, they could have free internet in the future for lesser-income families and the taxpayers foot the bill. Or, they could give free internet to anyone who wants it but it will be on dialup speeds.

Completely free internet will never happen because the cable companies will never let go of that cash cow.

[tbear]

In the village I live in, in Spain, the town hall is organising free, local, Internet connection to all residents. Of course, you will have to buy the equipment needed, around 90€, I believe (bit of a rip off for the equipment involved, supplied by a local dealer ;) ), but then, the Internet is at your complete disposal. This is happening in many areas of Spain.

I see no problem with basic Internet connection for all, free of charge. In fact, the Internet is beginning to become a necessity, I expect, in most developed parts of the world. Many times I am directed to websites for sorting stuff out, from people at local shops and offices.

Again, in Spain, Telefonica (sorry for using that T word), the main player, has been pushing, usually with not a small amount of, and I use the word loosely, 'trickery', that their users update to broad band connections from dial up. I assume this is because it is easier and cheaper for them to maintain.

[IanCP]

'You watch free TV?'

Yes it's called ABC-TV, devoid of commercials but with "quality" programming.