The idea of blanketing cities in a network of WiFi-sharing volunteers isn't new: ask FierceWiFi Fierce15 pick FON, for example. FON offered a simple enough proposition: they send you a wireless router for free which you leave open for sharing with other FON users, as a result, you can use any FON access point free of charge. It's like the old share and share alike adage but with WiFi. Now another Barcelona-based startup, Whisher (backed by Swiss telecom giant Swisscom, oddly enough) are offering up a similar service for people with existing routers: simply download and install their software and you're ready to share. The catch? Your broadband Internet user's agreement, which likely prohibits sharing those Internets beyond your front door. "We've taken steps as a company to inform our customers that passive or active theft of our services is illegal," said Maureen Huff, a spokeswoman for Time Warner Cable. "People who violate these agreements can be prosecuted on a criminal and civil basis."

For more on WiFi sharing:
- see this CNET article