Esme Vos files this screed on the follies and contradictions of building expensive roaming architectures to charge for hotspot service when free is so much cheaper and abundant: As Vos points out, becoming part of a for-fee roaming infrastructure costs money, even if you're not paying it directly as a venue. The infrastructure, billing, and customer support has to be paid for. Isn't free easier, especially when if you charge you're competing head-to-head against similar venues that offer free service?
Vos asks the billion-dollar question: at a putative future date when Internet access (mostly via Wi-Fi) is an expected and even required part of all hospitality, retail, conference, and travel venues, how can money be extracted from the system as long as free, comparable venues also exist?