Estonia goes WiFi
p2pnet.net News Feature:- WiFi is IT. No question.
Websters around the world are using wireless hook-ups at airports, in their cars and even on their bikes.
But Estonia has taken to WiFi Big Time.
The country’s Statoil started promoting WiFi (see the bottom of the pic) and soon afterwards, rival NESTE wired up 29 gas stations.
Their rivalry sells gas, but it also means motorists can now tune in to 72 Estonian WiFi hot spots.
But there’s more to the Estonian WiFi Web than gas and currently, there are 285 hotspots covering 45,000km.
What makes it so popular? The hard work of Veljo Haamer, editor of the wifi.ee website, says a BBC story here.
Haamer, a former computer science student and tutor, became interested in the wireless internet after reading about projects in the US, says the Beeb, going on:
“He visited friends in the United States, learned more about wi-fi, and then decided to start his own project in Estonia. Working with local net providers, Mr Haamer started pushing wi-fi as a cheap, effective way for Estonians to get online.”
However, some of the credit must also go to foreign minister Kristiina Ojuland who’s in charge of IT for Estonia.
Interviewed in a Guardian Unlimited story here, she says, “Most of Estonia’s internet users are on broadband. All schools and libraries have broadband. Most civil servants use personal computers and the internet. Some 60% of internet users use electronic banking and 80% of all banking transactions are electronic. I use a laptop with mobile phone during meetings of the EU Council of Ministers. I am the only one of the 25 who uses a laptop.”
May 7th, 2004 at 8:14 am
The Minsiter of Foreign affirs definitely is very electronically progressive here in Estonia, but her being in charge of IT is the biggest piece of crap I’ve heard today.