Extensively researched paper describes scope of commercial, free, and municipal wireless in London, England: Using maps, warflying, stumbling, and other resources, Julian Priest has released an exhaustive look at the state of wireless in London. He looks at the lead that free networking has had in the city due to bans on commercial deployment until early 2002; still, the commercial footprint is extensive.
Among many interesting facts and discussions in the paper are the necessary geek per square kilometer density necessary to fully cover London on average with free networks (about 1.25 geek activits per sq. km). Priest also review municipal projects, none of which are rousing successes and many of which demonstrate the limits of straitjacketed civic projects.
Priest ends with a call for a wireless festival in London that would celebrate the city's current unwired state, while marketing and educating further to increase density of deployment. [link via James Enck, Daiwa Securities SMBC Europe Ltd]