Dis-Connections

Someday the Internet will be a mainstream option for getting radio and video just about anywhere. I don't think that will happen until wireless access is ubiquitous, cheap, and as reliable as a radio station.

I still experience dropped cell phone calls a few times per week. Wireless web connections drop out fairly frequently. Listeners wouldn't tolerate a radio station that goes off the air several times per week. They won't tolerate it for audio streaming over the wireless web.

And the pricing for Internet services is a bit strange. I've been on the road a lot over the last month and I'm pretty certain that the following is true: The more expensive the hotel room, the more likely you will have to pay for an Internet connection.

Then there were the two hotels in major markets (different chains) that didn't have high-speed Internet in my room. In one case, the outlet was broken. In the other, I was told that the only option was dial-up and the hotel would reimburse my connection costs. Huh?

I'm sure broadband will someday provide serious competition for radio. But based on the obstacles I experienced in the last month, and that most consumers face today, there is still a long way to go.