NewsForge: The Right Way to Run a Wi-Fi Cafe

“One of the benefits of living in a place as exotic as Abilene,
Texas, is that it presents you with a choice of not one but three
Internet-connected coffee shops. Last week, I spent an afternoon in
each, scouting for the place I’ll go to hole up and get work done
this summer when the triple-digit temperatures hit, when mentally
calculating the air conditioning costs begins to prove too
distracting at home. I haven’t yet reached a final decision, but I
have some choice words for anyone weighing the idea of starting up
a new Internet coffee shop.

“Before I begin, let’s be crystal clear about one thing: When I
say Internet-connected coffee shop, I mean free Internet. I’m
looking at you, T-Mobile and Starbucks–if I’m interested in paying
for a wireless connection, I can do that pretty much anywhere (not
to mention more cheaply) without you…”

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