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Y'Know, "WiFi" Sounds Polynesian

Jesse Walker | 6.24.2003 5:51 AM

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A whole nation now has free, always-on, wireless access to the Internet, without any government subsidies involved. Of course, the nation in question is just 259 square kilometers in size. But that's bigger than a lot of cities, whose citizens could do the same thing—if the FCC would let them.

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NEXT: Beating New Hampshire to the Punch

Jesse Walker is books editor at Reason and the author of Rebels on the Air and The United States of Paranoia.

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  1. Warren   22 years ago

    Sing it Jesse

  2. C.Bligh   22 years ago

    Yeah, but even though the place looks like a paradise, who’d want to live there. Government owns the land, and the sale of land is FORBIDDEN.

    The only advantage is the topless girls roaming around the island. And they all use computers.

  3. Anonymous   22 years ago

    What a great idea! The FCC ought to get off the pot so we can get on with the business of kermunikating faster.

  4. Bligh   22 years ago

    Croesus, what is it with you and France? Seriously, you seem to know every obscure French nuance out there.

  5. Jesse Walker   22 years ago

    When I was much younger I briefly entertained the idea that, given all the possible forms of government, there must be some tiny country somewhere that got it right.

    Turns out the world doesn’t work that way. But I learned a lot of geography.

  6. Jesse Walker   22 years ago

    …or maybe there’s just a natural correlation between an interest in very small government and an interest in very small states.

  7. twistedmerkin   22 years ago

    So now they can instant message their buddies on Pitcairn Island.

  8. Jim N   22 years ago

    Well, at least you learned something. Welcome back.

  9. Jim N   22 years ago

    Jesse, what is it with you and island nations? Seriously, you seem to know every obscure one out there.

  10. Croesus   22 years ago

    A company is also making all of Paris “WiFi”; I believe they’ve already got a portion of the network up & running.

    Vive la France! 🙂

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