When Wi-Fi is free, who pays?

“AnchorFree, a company in Sunnyvale, Calif. ... has introduced a service that lets merchants of any size — from a large bookstore chain to a mom-and-pop restaurant — offer free advertising-supported Wi-Fi to customers on the store premises. People who are shopping or eating in an AnchorFree location will see banner ads on their screens or short video spots or both before their browsing session.”

The New York Times explores the topic of a different business model for wireless broadband at public hotspots.