Utility

The utility argument takes an entirely different approach. Let's say that a location owner (home, commercial property, business owner, etc.) already has Internet access. Since the bandwidth is already there and the additional cost of an AP is so small, why not just offer wireless access to the public for free? Call it a public service, or just plain altruism. The utility approach simply says “Why not?”

For large, commercial buildings, bandwidth is treated as a utility, no different than water, gas, and electricity. Public buildings already offer free water fountains and bathrooms. Why? Because the incremental cost of a sip of water is negligible and the building already has water pipes running to it for the rest of the building. Many property managers will tell you that it costs less to put in wireless access than it does to install a water fountain.