I am a resident of Pt Chevalier and a director of Kiwi Wirless providing Wi-Fi networks in the more progresive regions of NZ.
The free Wi-Fi model promoted in your article does'nt work in practice as someone has to support it and they need to be paid. Community Wi-Fi however has a lot of potential advantages and I firmly believe in the integrity of my investment motivated largely by frustrations of the current service providers.
Its difficult to place infrastructure on domestic houses as this comes with a host of potential hastles. You need street furniture and a progressive council who is prepared to make this available. The light poles in Pt Chev (which Kiwi wireless designed a network around) are half owned by council and half by Vector. Somehow no one could make this work for us so it went no further.
My full congradulations to councils such as Taupo who at no cost to them have said Why not! please do it. They now enjoy a total Wi-Fi blanket coverage over their town and exciting things are happening there.
Auckland has coverage over parts of mainstreet Parnell, Remuera, Newmarket, K rd and ponsonby. The council had an RFI out for the development of a Wireless Mesh network over the CBD and the submission that I was involved in would provide this at no cost to the tax payer.
My understanding is that this will still proceed, but we have a new mayor now who seems to take the stand that he can do everything better. Whatch this space.
Robert Cross