Connecting China - Should the internet access be free?

Should the wireless access be free or a way to make a profit, I asked my participants at Connecting China, after I ran into trouble getting online at the Hyatt in Beijing. Just like in the real world, the Connecting China panels is divided on the question whether free (wireless) internet access is a good idea. Amy Gu in Hong Kong for exmple thinks that China cannot afford it now, but that it might be a good idea when the development has progressed more. But Fred Wang from Wenzhou thinks free internet is an excellent way to improve education at the impoverished countryside. “Meanwhile the VIP information provider may charge for their hard effors and others can understand it, in my opinion,” he says.