What’s behind municipal Wi-Fi failures?
I realize this isn’t local, but since the focus of the article takes a look into What’s Behind the Epidemic of Municipal Wi-Fi Failures?, I thought it might be of interest to those of you following the Cities quest to have a muni Wi-Fi.
Some key elements of the Wired article:
It’s a harsh dose of reality that juxtaposes the giddy enthusiasm for ubiquitous Wi-Fi that cities like San Francisco, Philadelphia, Houston and many others displayed only a few years ago. In part, that enthusiasm was based on a handful of assumptions. The first was that advertising could support citywide connectivity, enabling the services to be free or low-cost. Many proponents also argued that residents would actually want to use the free networks. Both assumptions were mistaken.
Then, there was the issue of radio transmitters needed to broadcast the signal. With a range of just 100 or 200 feet at most, Wi-Fi networks simply don’t provide adequate access — especially for people in buildings or other enclosed areas. As a result, most networks deployed in the past several years have required between 20 and 100 percent more access points than budgeted, according to journalist Glenn Fleishman.Lack of demand was the final nail in the coffin. Although cities and telecoms expected 10-25 percent of an area’s population to sign up for muni Wi-Fi, what they got, in many cases, was closer to 1 or 2 percent, Fleishman reports.
So, maybe it’s really a very good thing that Toledo didn’t move forward with it’s plan and spend any money on this…
I think security might be a consideration. For most people the “fear” of having their computer hacked into because of WiFi is very real. Better to use a “hardwire” connection that cuts some of the risk (even if they pay $50 a month). Certainly there are those who are expert, and say this is nonsense, but most people aren’t experts. They just want to use their computer in as convenient a manner as possible. Unfortunately, there are those “elitists” on the Internet who feel that unless someone can get into the instructions for the CPU they have no business being on the Internet. And so they give us the “viruses” that now make our computing experience so enjoyable.
September 5th, 2007 at 11:45 amWiMax broad band and other wireless broad band services are coming to the air waves and with better coverage and more reliable service city wide wi-fi is almost passe.
Look at what a big selling point wi-fi in restaurants and so on was. Great for business people on the road but how many of us are going bring a notebook or PDA to BK for a whopper and coke and don’t forget the fries.
September 5th, 2007 at 5:30 pmDon’t forget that the city of Chicago (2.8 million people)abandoned the plans to have a city-wide Wi-Fi.
September 5th, 2007 at 7:29 pmAnd I heard on Michigan Radio today that counties up yonder are moving ahead with construction of Wi-Fi installations all the same while some fizzle.
September 5th, 2007 at 10:04 pmMuni WiFi is too expensive to implement properly.
Besides, the private sector has already stepped up and filled the need/void nicely.
The nimble private sector out maneuvers the awkward/clumsy government dinosaur once again.
Government itself could benefit widely from a properly implemented WiFi system, but where’s the money? And, chances are that they would try to do it on the cheap…, they always do, and waste money in the long run.
Muni WIFi is nothing more than a footnote in history…
Too much, for too little, too late.
Technology 1
September 8th, 2007 at 4:13 pmGovernment 0
Perhaps there really is NO free lunch!
September 9th, 2007 at 8:54 amJack you finally woke up. Sorry to inform you the election was last year and Carty won.
September 9th, 2007 at 10:16 am