Is it me, or is this city WI-FI plan confusing?

A user opening a laptop at Quincy Market at lunchtime, for instance, might get Internet access from any of several providers. Some might offer free ad-supported service, though most probably would probably capitalize on the new technology to offer people Internet access for about $15 a month, less than half of the $35 to $40 average price charged on average today by broadband providers, according to task force members.

It might be free but probably it won't be. It could cost less than cable or DSL, but then again it might not. Moving across the city, would a user have to maintain multiple paid accounts to stay connected? I'm curious to see how this works.