It looks like citywide wireless is not a slam dunk everywhere you go. Today's New York Times has a story on WiFly, the wireless network commissioned by the Taipei (Taiwan) city government that costs users $12.50 a month. The story reports that despite its wide accessibility in the city, only 40,000 of Taipei's 2.6 million residents have signed up for the WiFly service.
Although WiFly seems to offer users quite a number of applications, including online games and low-cost internet phone service, it hasn't caught on yet, and Taipei city officials are concerned that because there is so much free wireless internet access throughout the area, WiFly will be doomed to eventual failure. The company is doing what it can to market the service, and it is hoped that all the special offers will entice people to come on board.
However, just because a city builds a wireless network doesn't mean that people will use it because it's there. It's got to give people an incentive to use it, and as this story notes, content is the key.
