WiFi as a Public Utility

**Gen** · 07-17-2006, 11:20 AM

Re: WiFi as a Public Utility

there are a couple other metro cities flirting with the idea as well..I have only heard of one city so far that is all Wireless...cant member which one.. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70402-thinking.gif[/img]

**Pepper** · 07-17-2006, 11:24 AM

Re: WiFi as a Public Utility

I found the article for Miami....

Dade WiFi plan aims to bridge digital divide, bring Net to allMiami-Dade officials are considering providing Internet access across the county, as more governments believe wireless service is a utility.
BY JOSEPH TARTAKOFF
[email protected]

Miami-Dade officials want to provide affordable wireless Internet access across the entire county. But it's an expensive and untested technology, an expert warned Friday.

At the first meeting to discuss the plan, Mayor Carlos Alvarez -- who unveiled the initiative in February -- said it could ''erase'' the ''digital divide'' in the area. School Board Member Ana Rivas Logan took Alvarez's words one step further.

''This will definitely help us to close the achievement gap,'' she said.

But there's a gap between the expectations of elected officials and the ability of industry to deliver on them, said Daniel Aghion, the executive director of the Wireless Internet Institute in Boston.

Increasingly, governments believe wireless Internet is a utility, just like electricity, and Miami-Dade is among a ''few hundred'' across the nation that are looking into providing it. But Aghion said few cities have actually deployed the networks and ``a lot of . . . experiments will probably not go as planned.''

Wireless technology allows computer users to connect to the Internet without the need of a phone line or a cable connection. For WiFi to work, the computer must have a wireless card -- common on laptops but less so on desktops -- and be within range of an access point.

Aghion said it's not profitable for municipalities to provide low-cost wireless. Therefore, the county should focus first on saving money by using it to boost employee productivity. A secondary benefit, he said, could be public access.

That did not sit well with Logan, who said she teaches computer classes in South Florida where some students don't know how to turn on a computer.

When William Talbert, the committee's chairman and president of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, asked for a cost estimate for constructing the network across the county's 2,000 square miles, Aghion hesitated.

''I'm not sure you'd want to,'' he said.

Aghion said it could cost more than $100,000 per square mile just to set up the network. That means a system could cost upwards of $200 million in the county.

However, Ira Feuer, a special assistant to the mayor, said afterward it could be closer to $150 million. It's possible that private partners could foot some or even the entire bill.

Alvarez hopes to begin implementing the plan within the next two years.

''I understand there will be a lot of challenges ahead,'' he said. ``I added an extra year because I know we would be breaking ground in a lot of areas.''

The committee will sponsor a number of focus groups and reconvene in September.

Meanwhile, a separate plan to provide free wireless Internet access in Miami Beach is advancing.

Gladys Acosta, the IT director for Miami Beach, said the city was designing its network. She said it had been difficult to identify city-owned buildings, poles and streetlights where the system's infrastructure could be built.

Both Broward and Palm Beach counties are also considering countywide wireless systems, according to Ralph MacNamara, an attorney who represented iCoast, a South Florida technology trade group, at the meeting.

source

**Pepper** · 07-17-2006, 11:26 AM

Re: WiFi as a Public Utility

[ QUOTE ]
there are a couple other metro cities flirting with the idea as well..I have only heard of one city so far that is all Wireless...cant member which one.. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/70402-thinking.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I had to look that up. Grand Haven, Michigan.

Nation's First City-Wide WiFi Network Completed
By Jack, posted Saturday, Jul. 31st, 2004

GRAND HAVEN, Mich., July 29 -- Heralding in a new era of city-wide WiFi Internet access, Grand Haven, Mich., Mayor Roger Bergman today announced the completion and full operation of the nation's first city-wide WiFi broadband network. Other cities have announced intent to build similar networks or have announced partial deployments; in contrast, the Grand Haven implementation, by Ottawa Wireless Inc., is the first full and complete city- wide WiFi deployment in the country.

"As the first WiFi city in America, Grand Haven has truly lived up to its name in the Internet era, as we now allow anyone anywhere to connect to the Internet and roam the city and waterways in a completely secure computing environment," Mayor Bergman said. "The city-wide WiFi service provided by Ottawa Wireless is already enhancing the quality of life for residents and tourists and enabling the city to provide new services."

Developed and managed by Ottawa Wireless, a leading provider of wireless Internet access solutions to business and local government, the system uses several hundred WiFi (802.11a, b, g) radios strategically located upon the city infrastructure to blanket its six square miles and provide coverage 15 miles into Lake Michigan. WiFi, for wireless fidelity, is a technology that gives users the freedom to receive and transmit data over the Internet at high speeds from anywhere within the broadcast signal range. Voice over IP (VoIP) Internet-based phone service is also available on the new network.

The city-wide WiFi service, which began commercial operation on a smaller scale in the fall of 2003, represents a technology first for Ottawa Wireless, which also is developing many other community-wide WiFi "hot cities" across the Midwest.

"While a few other cities have announced their intent to build similar networks, Grand Haven is the first to provide access across the entire city limits, making it America's first 'hot city,'" said Ottawa Wireless CEO Tyler van Houwelingen, a former Intel engineer and McKinsey & Company technology consultant.

"Grand Haven demonstrates how the public and private sectors can work together to provide an entire city and everyone within its limits with more affordable, easy-to-access Internet service," he added. "This is a proud moment for Grand Haven, and the benefits of anytime-anywhere Internet access are being enjoyed by every facet of our town, from tourists, boaters, and residents to businesses and municipal agencies. Already with more than 300 customers, this WiFi service is having a dramatic impact on the way people work, play and communicate around town. Its benefits are many, as it enables new public security services, attracts businesses, boosts tourism, and supports education."

Grand Haven, population 12,000, has more than 2 million visitors each year. Some hotels and marinas subsidize the wireless service, offering it free to guests. A local realtor views home listings and prices while touring properties with clients. A local web designer has relocated his office to his boat for the summer. Other current customers include the city administration, large and small businesses, and restaurants. Local public safety agencies and the hospital are in the process of connecting to the network.

In addition to fixed/mobile high-speed Internet access, Ottawa Wireless provides advanced services, such as point-to-point dedicated VPN connections, remote wireless video surveillance, and high-speed access for boaters up to 15 miles offshore and at speeds of up to 55 miles per hour. City-wide mobile WiFi VoIP telephone calling is currently in beta testing with full launch expected in the next few months. Monthly prices for always-on broadband Internet starts at $19.99 for 256 kbps, and unlimited mobile VoIP calling is $29.99. Per-day pricing is available for tourists and other visitors.

Building the First City-Wide WiFi Network
Ottawa Wireless overcame many technology, right-of-way, and line-of-sight challenges to build this pioneering network across this picturesque town of tall trees and rolling hills. Ottawa Wireless partners include The City of Grand Haven, Grand Haven Board of Light & Power, Proxim Corp., Ottawa Electric, LogiSense Corp., and Winncom Technologies.

Proxim, a leading provider of wireless equipment, provided the network radios, which include Proxim ORiNOCO AP-4000 tri-band access points and the Proxim Tsunami MP.11a point-to-multipoint wireless backhaul system.

According to Lynn Lucas, director of product marketing for Proxim, "The Ottawa Wireless network is a great example of how to effectively provide last- mile broadband access to a community. Not only can it be offered less expensively than DSL and cable, it is also fully mobile and can be rolled out with extreme speed. We have been delighted to participate with a dynamic company like Ottawa Wireless and are excited to continue working with them as they grow their network."

About Ottawa Wireless
Ottawa Wireless, based in Grand Haven, Mich., is a leading provider of wireless Internet access and services to consumers, businesses and local government agencies. With the most public WiFi locations deployed throughout the Midwest, Ottawa Wireless uses open spectrum wireless Internet for data, voice and video applications. The firm is recognized as a pioneer in the public deployment of WiFi and WiMAX technologies. Additional information about Ottawa Wireless is available at http://www.ottawawireless.com.

WiMAX is a registered trademark of the WiMAX Forum. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

**j-kid** · 07-17-2006, 04:37 PM

Re: WiFi as a Public Utility

Competition is a good thing. If it catches on, dis can help drive the price down in the surrounding cities that have private, commercially provided internet services for sale. A wanda if the phone an cable companies can sue dem, fi government ah cut into dem business?

WiFi as a Public Utility

WiFi as a Public Utility

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