FREE CITYWIDE WI-FI
Jan 1, 2006 12:00 PM, C. Deane
The number of Americans with high-speed Internet access is still less than 50 percent. In 2006, this number will continue to grow, further fueling the use of legal (and illegal) online digital music services. In addition to the natural process of getting people up to speed with innovation, moves such as Google's recent bid to offer free Wi-Fi to San Francisco will expedite the population's access and regular use of services that are dependent upon high-speed Internet connections. Sources close to Google executives confirm that San Francisco is only the beginning: The company wants the whole country (and beyond) online, easily, all the time. That means more music online, easily, all the time. In 2006, expect to see more people listening to personalized online radio and subscribing to all-you can-eat on-demand music services such as Rhapsody, Yahoo Music and Napster. Further fueling the use of these services is the increasing number of portable players that are compatible with subscription content (as “To Go” tiers of such services) and the fact that consumers are growing more comfortable with a rental, rather than an ownership, model for their entertainment. Netflix, with well over 3.5 million subscribers to date, is a great example. Tastes change. Music and movies are expensive. Why not just pay to use it, easily, whenever and wherever you want?
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