According to the findings of the report, nearly 34% of Internet users have logged onto the Internet using a wireless connection either around the house, at their workplace, or some place else.

This means that one-third of Internet users, making use of laptops or other mobile devices have surfed the Internet or checked email by means of a WiFi connection or a cell phone network.

Is this a good thing though?

The Pew report documents that those who rely on wireless access as their means of connecting to the Internet often develop differing online habits in comparison to their wired counterparts. Some of the behaviors may actually lead to a decrease in productivity.

Here’s what the report had to say:

The differences between wireless and home broadband users are statistically significant and notable because most wireless users (80%) have broadband connections at home. The findings suggest that the “relentless connectivity” afforded by wireless access represents a different quality in online behavior.

It is possible – even likely – that lifestyle circumstances such as one’s job may require lots of email connectivity and associated wireless access. But the boundaries between checking email on a portable device for work or personal purposes can be very blurry; having such work-driven access may foster greater frequency of personal emailing or other kinds of online activities.

Employers beware if you offer this kind of carte-blanche access to your employees; the results could actually wind up being counter-productive.

There also seems to be a line of demarcation among wireless users in terms of age. Pew has more:

Users of the wireless internet tend to be younger than internet users in general. For internet users under the age of 30:

· 37% have logged on wirelessly from anywhere.
· 32% have logged on wirelessly from someplace other than home or work.
· 25% log on wirelessly at home.
· 16% have gotten online by wireless means at work.

As the volume of wireless broadband increases, so does the demand for infrastructure on a municipal level. Google and Earthlink, notably, have worked to develop a MuniFi network for the city of San Francisco, but have since been met with both political and logistical opposition.

If the demand for wireless access continues to increase without more “hot spots” from which to log on, expect some serious brawling to go down at Starbucks in determining who gets the chair, and the caramel frappuccino (with extra caramel).

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It looks like Google and Earthlink have cleared the first hurdle in the process of building the MuniFi network for the city. Finalizing the partnership agreement, however, will probably turn out to be the simplest part of this whole endeavor.

Back in October, Google met with local politicians to explain how the two companies planned to implement the project, and were met with a less than warm reception. Davis Freeberg was on hand, and commented on some of the outlandish constraints that the city wanted to put on the project:

Now that everyone has agreed in principle to how the partnership between the two companies should look, the next obstacle lies in selling the idea to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, some of which are looking to supplant the effort by suggesting the city build its own municipally owned network, without the help of Google and Earthlink.

“We should stop and look and not just leap just because the mayor wants to be able to sell this sizzle,” says city supervisor Jake McGoldrick as quoted in a Wireless article.

“By giving EarthLink access to light poles and other locations for radios, the city is giving away valuable resources in a deal that locks it in for several years. The city could contract with private companies to carry out technical tasks, but it should own the network and be able to price services itself.”

Speaking of service pricing, Earthlink plans to provide 1M bps wireless services for around $20 a month, while Google will offer a slower, but completely free (and ad-supported) alternative at 300K bps.

That is of course, if the project ever gets off the ground.

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Joe is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.

What Would You Like Out Of 2007?

Wish lists are usually reserved for birthdays or the recent Christmas season, but somehow it seemed appropriate to ponder what I would like to see come to pass in this new year. So, for your reading pleasure, I have narrowed the list down to the five events that I would most like to see come to fruition this year.

1) A Google Enhanced Distribution of Linux

While Vista may not be the triumphant success that Microsoft had hoped for, it still remains that the operating system will have a determined focus to challenge Google’s search dominance as its desktop search functionality continues to be refined. So, in response, an operating system bearing the Google emblem would be a welcome alternative for the anti-Microsoft disestablishmentarian fanboys.

The company already makes use of its own customized Linux distribution, and making that product available to the public would seem to be a logical step to challenge Microsoft in the OS realm. And personally, I always have subscribed to the adage that choice is good, and a Goonix platform could give consumers just such a choice.

2) Municipal WiFi That Isn’t a Giant Hassle

When Google and Earthlink set out to set up a WiFi network throughout San Francisco, it seemed like a win/win situation for everyone involved. Now, in what seems like an eternity later, the project continues to be tied down within the miry confines of city bureaucracy and public scrutiny.

Isn’t there some way to bring MuniFi to the masses without the “ginormous” hassle of jumping through hoop after hoop only to land in more red tape?

3) The Abolishment of DRM from iTunes

I’ve written about this topic a number of times, and I will keep writing about it until Apple gets a clue about just how counterproductive its Digital Rights Management (DRM) practices are to the spirit of the digital music community.

Apple has traditionally been the underground company looking to stick it to The Man (Microsoft) in its endeavors. Ironically, with the dominance of the iTunes music store and the restrictive nature of DRM, Apple is turning into its own twisted version of The Man.

4) Search Functionality Within Google Reader

Have I missed something here? I mean, I love… L-O-V-E the RSS aggregation tastiness that is Google Reader. In fact, I dare say I could not live without it when researching material to write about. However, I can’t seem to find any way to search through my feeds for a particular topic, keyword, author, or any other term.

So you’re telling me that a company that has made its name from search functionality hasn’t figured out how to implement it within one of its fastest growing services?

It boggles the mind.

5) Yahoo Storming Back Into the Online Forefront

If choice is good, then genuine competition is grand. Yahoo took a lot of heat in 2006, so let’s hope in 2007 that the company can rebound and become a bigger player than ever before in the landscapes of search, marketing, and online services.

Why? Because when true competition exists, then the consumer always wins. If Google and Yahoo become locked in a heated battle to provide the most comprehensive online experience for the user, the pace of innovation and user-friendliness increases exponentially. That’s something we all should want, it’s the fundamental principal that drives the free market.

Or as Austin Powers would say, “Groovy! Smashing! Yay Capitalism!”

So there you have it, the five things I hope will happen this year. It isn’t too much to ask for, is it?

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Joe is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.