Wirecutters: State-Run Wi-fi

Catalonia may be renowned for its hospitality, but the mobile-phone industry could be excused if it were feeling a bit betrayed. Earlier this year, Barcelona, capital of the Spanish province, hosted the 3GSM World Congress, the world's biggest annual cellular conference. During his keynote address, Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin implored his colleagues to improve cellular networks' ability to provide rapid and easy Internet access, otherwise a new wireless technology called WiMAX could take over. WiMAX doesn't require phone handsets or cellular networks. It can deliver fast Net connections over long distances directly to computers or handheld devices. "If we don't build...

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