Decision to decommission free hot spots could be a sign that demand for public Wi-Fi is limited, some say.

Word from Verizon that it plans to decommission the hundreds of free Wi-Fi hot spots it turned up in New York City two years ago has some observers suggesting that demand for such public wireless services is limited.

"Hot spots are more of a social gathering application with low security," says Larry Swasey, a senior analyst at Visant Strategies. EV-DO "brings in more users, and it's a more secure environment."

Cellular data services such as 2 megabit per second EV-DO and the 14.4 mbps High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, although slower than Wi-Fi, have far wider coverage, enable roaming, and operate in licensed spectrum less susceptible to interference. Full Story...