Is this awesome or what? After three years of disputes the Berlin senate finally has cleared the way for two pilot projects: In East and in West Berlin antennas are installed on several traffic lights to provide a comprehensive wireless network. Afterwards every Berliner will be able to log onto the internet via WLAN – regardless of whether he’s walking down the street or using the S-Bahn. You know what? I lurrrrrve Berlin! And I wish I would be living there (the day will come, that I’ll move there!). If the pilot projects are successful the radio circuit will be enlarged.

The thing with WLAN in comparison to UMTS (because you can already surfe mobile via UMTS) is that it’s a lot faster and not only useable with your UMTS-phone: Every Laptop is able to use WLAN. My iPod touch is able to use WLAN! Think about the rumors that apple is planning to launch a media streaming service – with WLAN you’re able to use this everywhere and with any device! And apart from speed and compatibility – this WLAN is meant to be used for free! So, the internet is now seen as a basic need! With fast, accessible, free internet everywhere, the internet is indeed able to become our sixth sense (MIT-students’ imagination).

The pilot projects will prove not only the technical feasibility, but also the compatibility with the cityscape. The latter one was the reason why it needed three years till the senate gave its nod: The issue was where the antennas should be installed. They were originally thought to be put at street lights. But the city development management meant that this wouldn’t be reconcilable with the cityscape. When they considered to install the antennas at traffic lights, they checked if it was possible to divert the electricity from the lights without disturbing its functionality.

WLAN Berlin - WLAN icon: extract from "wlan tshirt" on Flickr, by nebi, cc; TV Tower: extract from "Berlin sunset" on Flickr, by extranoise, cc

(via Berliner Morgenpost: Berlin macht das Internet kostenlos)