A few years ago, there was lots of press coverage glorifying the potential of free and cheap municipally sponsored WiFi Internet connectivity for citizens and travelers. Today the press is having a field day writing about its failures. The truth is municipal WiFi was hyped in the past to create unrealistic expectations and now it’s being bad-mouthed to cast a pale over the entire concept of municipal broadband service.
A recent New York Times article, "Hopes for Wireless Cities Fade as Internet Providers Pull Out," reports municipal WiFi momentum is floundering because of unrealistic ambitions and technological glitches. “The conclusion that such ventures would not be profitable led to sudden withdrawals by service providers like EarthLink Inc. (Nasdaq: ELNK), the Internet company that had effectively cornered the market on the efforts by the larger cities,” the Times reports.
What went wrong? Developing a municipal WiFi network that meets everyone’s needs is impossible.Even well meaning politicians and technologists were caught off guard by the requirements of a metro scale WiFi network.Esme Vos, who runs the terrific MuniWireless.com information site, notes that new technologies and networks typically result in cost overruns. Also, planners didn’t sufficiently consider population density in relation to the infrastructure to ensure coverage for as many potential users in as small an area as possible.
Craig Settles, a business technology consultant and WiFi expert who recently wrote a guide to municipal wireless, emphasizes that it’s important for cities to determine what problems they need to solve, rather than first picking a specific technology or business model.
Settles notes that Earthlink was more interested in selling subscriptions to a broad market, rather than trying to solve the digital divide between the haves and have-nots.If a city’s main goal is serving lower income residents, perhaps it would be preferable to explore offering free or low-cost DSL or cable modems rather than mandating WiFi across an entire city.If businesses need high-speed data in specific, limited areas, perhaps cities should consider expanding their fiber lines to generate revenues from corporate subscriptions.If that fiber business is profitable, cities could consider offering supplemental WiFi in select areas.That’s what Santa Monica, Calif., is doing, says Settles.
WiFi is a supplemental service for some cellular operators, and that’s creating competition for potential municipal networks. AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T), which offers DSL and cellular, announced it was taking over T-Mobile’s WiFi service in Starbucks.AT&T’s DSL customers will receive free WiFi.Can new WiFi offerings for AT&T’s iPhone and iPod touch customers be far behind?Also, faster cellular data services are placing pressure on municipalities that would like to sell WiFi to business customers.
When you factor in the credit crunch and lower property taxes that municipalities are experiencing, the environment for a municipal WiFi looks even more hostile.But it’s not impossible.Glenn Fleishman’s uber WiFi site, Wifinetneww.com, points to an NPR article and audio report about Minneapolis’s WiFi network.The city signed a 10-year agreement with the infrastructure company US Internet Corp. and will be the anchor tenant to provide ongoing revenues while other subscribers are sought.Smaller cities also are developing WiFi networks.
The truth about municipal WiFi is it shouldn’t only be about city-wide coverage or WiFi.It should be about cities determining what, why, and where Internet access will be provided and the required technology and business models.It should be about creative business partnerships and asking potential users lots and lots of questions.
On very rare occasions when my broadband connection has gone down or when I'm at a hotel with very expensive or no Wi-Fi, I have sometimes "borrowed" someone else's Wi-Fi. But the experience is usually poor -- intermittent signals and slow speeds.
There are usually much better alternatives, whether it's using cellular data or going to a Wi-Fi restaurant/cafe with cheap or free Wi-Fi. I've found that tethering an EDGE-only phone as a modem can be fine for pulling down e-mail.
I don't know the statistics about who downloads the most illegal music and videos files as well as software, but it wouldn't be surprised if it were those of your ilk -- people still in school! :)
As for Glenn's Wi-Fi Networking News podcasts, just go to his site and you'll see the audio files where he comments for five minutes or so -- in between the detailed text entries. I don't remember if you can subscribe to Glenn's comments, but they are on the site. He has articles as well as an audio commentary about the Philadelphia venture.
The idea of bridging digital divide also brings more problems - and I hate to make this assumption, but I'm guessing it's partly right. Who downloads the most amount of illegal content?
I definitely learned my lesson - I was used to more "calmed" streets in College Park.
While many people like the idea of enabling poorer people to have high speed wireless Internet access, the business case isn't very viable from a profit standpoint despite also offering paid service as well. However, the issue of "bridging the digital divide" isn't going to go away. A computer/mobile consultant friend of mine suggested that low-income people be offered free or subsidized DSL or cable modem service because the phone/cable lines often already exist.
I do, on occasion, listen to music or technology podcasts on my Bluetooth headset while also reading and sending e-mail as I'm walking. However, I try to be careful. I wear only one headset (it's stereo and two headsets came with the package) and I always stop what I'm doing when I cross a street.
It seems as if Philadelphia's Wi-Fi network is indeed going to get a new lease on life. It will be interesting to see how long that lease will be! With all the problems of municipal Wi-Fi designed for individuals and businesses, it's tough to make a profit. Lots of routers are needed and building penetration is tough.
Municipal Wi-Fi does seem to be doing okay in cities where the local government is the primary or only user, such as for public safety applications. The profit motive is then less of a concern than improving communications of police, fire fighters, etc.
For what's probably the best coverage on the Web (or anywhere) about Wi-Fi, check out www.WiFiNetNews.com. It's run by Glenn Fleishman, a freelance writer who does a great job of covering the entire industry. He's as good -- and often better -- than any analyst. Glenn has written and also posted an audio podcast about the Philadelphia situation.
As for people who claim they are affected by Wi-Fi, it is strange. Radio waves are all over the place in low, high and medium wave lengths. Have the people who are complaining about Wi-Fi complained about AM/FM radio, TV, microwave ovens, cordless phones, cellular phones, etc.?
I'm not a doctor, and perhaps there are people who are especially sensitive to certain types of radio transmissions.
Like most public services, privatization comes at some point - and sometimes it's accepted, sometimes not. I think in this case it will help the service (as a technology). I don't think the intial concept was to give low class people access to internet through WiFi. Even if the prices are going down, I don't think people who have WiFi-enables equiments should be considered low-class, at least not yet.
Regarding the syndrome, it's widely discussed whether cellular EM emissions are harmful and most studies are inconclusive - some say yes, some say no, some say depends on age, etc. I think the real syndrome caused by cellular and wifi is the addiction to it. I found myself walking in a crowded NYC street the other day while texting and listening to my iPod and almost got ran over - that was the first and last time I do that.
How would this news reverberate to the proponents of Municipal Wifi? I also came across a WHO terminoly for people who suffer from radiation fron wifi hot spot . WHO called the disorder: IEI-EMF (idiopathic environmental intolerance with attribution to electromagnetic fields,"). Isn't that weird???
Noble metal migration and there effects on self healing circuits on topical plating conductors on flexable-substrate applicaions; will have to wait, as the muni wireless and wired get dised' by me. , in an April 2008 discussion in IE.com The readers that have taged along, probably dont care where we continue, just as long as we continue and it can be found at IE.
From a convenience standpoint: " lets get wireless for a necessity first. "
People drag their ass all the time. " it is better for the gym to have a fiberport outlet , while resting your exercised ass and also to have a wireless area capabillity if necessary; say for an oncall Doctor. But he, they , probably carry a pager. " better inbuilding coverage , from a 100 times more powerful transmitter "
Oh -- and forget FTTH. The solution is 4G (as I wrote in my most recent column) ;) ! Perhaps there's some confusion. But for speed and reliability, wireless can't compare to fiber -- even 4G is no match for fiber. I've never said otherwise.
However, the reality doesn’t stop manufacturers from hyping LTE’s theoretical and laboratory speeds of hundreds of megabits per second." 10 Megabit sec wifi, to a stored template device is absoutly astounding,, however the nand onboard the mobile needs to get refreshed by the fiber port, ( no big deal, i think , just build it ) 40 Megabit, or heaven forbid 80Mbs wireless, looks magical.. with out the fiberport,, but... this is really the operative theory... " One big advantage for fiber is that the EM issues are moot: no need for concern whatever, and it leaves the spectrum free for further use. " I agree with you ECSD.
but by now I am satisfied that the government (namely WE) should and shall run our own networks. The smart guys will sell the idea to the government Just really the whole point of the argument... " lets do it right "
Creating a demand for "fluffy" Isn't that the idea of excess nlp. (iajgwu.) n baited.
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