Obama 2008 -- The Free Wireless Network. Coming to Cities and Towns Near You.

Could a political campaign be a catalyst for free wireless across the country? My colleague, Roy Russell, thinks so. He's just launched a campaign to create free open wireless hotspots with the network name, "Obama 2008." It's a great idea -- offer a useful service and local resource, advertise for your candidate of choice, and demonstrate the community-oriented ethos that permeates the campaign.

The affinity group is located at:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4jbm

As Ray writes:

I've turned the security off on my wi-fi network, and renamed the SSID to "Obama 2008". I think of my wi-fi access point as a tiny beacon of hope, beaming my support for Barack Obama out to anyone who is listening, at least with a wi-fi device within 100 yards of my home. And they're free to get some free Internet access. I enjoy sharing with my neighbors, and I encourage everyone to do the same!

Hopefully the other campaigns will follow suite. In the meantime, it would be fantastic to see some official recognition from the candidates for this innovative idea.