Comments on: Municipal broadband and wireless projects map

Government-sponsored projects to provide fiber-optic or wireless networks are taking off across the United States, as are efforts to legislate the issue in state capitols.

The muni wireless rationale, etc.

You have a great site here, but a number of comments.

The holistic nature of a municipal wireless cloud enables a deployed network to serve many purposes. Those listed on this site actually reflect a broad set of uses, not all centered around community access (and many of these are not Wi-Fi-based networks, though they do use unlicensed bands). Specifically, many of your listed sites have been deployed by the local government solely for their internal use, as opposed to consumer or commercial use. This partially explains why your site lists deployments in those states with restrictive legislation.

Even excluding the community access (a.k.a economic development) angle, the case for municipal broadband is compelling. The uses for a citywide network are many, enabling a massive set of efficiencies just in terms of municipal operations. For example, our own customers have communicated a gain of no less 2-3 additional hours productivity per day PER OFFICER when police officers have mobile filed access to their LANs and the Internet. Layer in other departments, such as city inspectors, fire/EMS, traffic management, video monitoring, internal leased ine replacement, etc. and soon the rationale is so strong as to make it absurb not to deploy.

In other words, the community access angle is the least of the reasons and is simply "gravy."

Anyway, great site and fairly comprehensive list, even if these are not all community access networks (in fact, most listed are not that I can tell). In terms of missed sites, a quick glance shows me the following sites are missed: City of Carthage, MO; Chillicothe, MO; Caroline County, MD; Spotsylvannia County, VA; Laguna Beach, CA; Hunington Beach, CA; Pratt, KS; Price, UT; Helper, UT; Lenexa, KS; Washington County, GA

Keep up the good work.

Patrick Leary, Alvarion (formerly known as the wireless broadband "Chief Evangelist")

$$$

Has anyone done a comprehensive study on how much it costs on terms of Capital and Operating expenses to operate these networks? I would love to get an idea of what these numbers are on a per capita or per square mile basis.

[Denverexpat]

$$$ follow up

Did anyone have any feedback on the operating and capital cost for Muni Wireless?

$$$

Has anyone done a comprehensive study on how much it costs on terms of Capital and Operating expenses to operate these networks? I would love to get an idea of what these numbers are on a per capita or per square mile basis.

[Denverexpat]

$$$ follow up

Did anyone have any feedback on the operating and capital cost for Muni Wireless?

Broadband Availability, Jamestown MI

Is there someway I can request to have my CO turned on for broadband? I am 100ft away and all of my phonelines in the neighborhood have been updated (new homes)
I am so tired of the dial-up life. Please help, Thanks

Broadband Availability, Jamestown MI

Is there someway I can request to have my CO turned on for broadband? I am 100ft away and all of my phonelines in the neighborhood have been updated (new homes)
I am so tired of the dial-up life. Please help, Thanks

City of Riverside, California offers free wireless mall.

A 34 block area of Riverside is provided free wireless through SmartRiverside, a private non-profit organization. This is considered to be one of the largest free contiguous wireless networks in the country.

www.smartriverside.org

Wrong url

smartriverside.com

City of Riverside, California offers free wireless mall.

A 34 block area of Riverside is provided free wireless through SmartRiverside, a private non-profit organization. This is considered to be one of the largest free contiguous wireless networks in the country.

www.smartriverside.org

Wrong url

smartriverside.com

[classic_craftsman]

Door County Services

Hello to all. With fibre optic coming to our area all I can say is hold on to your hat! The communication possibilities are almost unlimited with this technology. Sooner or later it's coming to us, so I say bring it! I beleive the impact this will have in our communities will change all our lives for the better, in ways you may not even know or think of. Rather than saying "when will it get to my house?" we can say to others (as the service expands FROM our area) "Oh yeah, I've had that service for awhile now, doesn't everyone ?" This technology and services will (in my opinion)take us from being the last in line to benefit, to being on the forefront or "cutting edge" of technology and services available. Does anyone remember 8-track tapes ?

[classic_craftsman]

Door County Services

Hello to all. With fibre optic coming to our area all I can say is hold on to your hat! The communication possibilities are almost unlimited with this technology. Sooner or later it's coming to us, so I say bring it! I beleive the impact this will have in our communities will change all our lives for the better, in ways you may not even know or think of. Rather than saying "when will it get to my house?" we can say to others (as the service expands FROM our area) "Oh yeah, I've had that service for awhile now, doesn't everyone ?" This technology and services will (in my opinion)take us from being the last in line to benefit, to being on the forefront or "cutting edge" of technology and services available. Does anyone remember 8-track tapes ?

[sandyfain]

iTown's West Virginia First(sm) Advanced Broadband Project

Please update your broadband map and data base for West Virginia. There is a project uderway by iTown Communications called West Virginia First(sm) bringing advanced broadband infrastructure to communities across the state. The broadband infrastructure is based on community-wide FTTP deployment called a Local Community Public Use Network(sm) or LCPN(sm) using an Ethernet last mile solution and Internet Protocol. The network is designed with open network architecture for use by multiple providers of voice, video and Internet services. The project is a private sector solution with close community collaboration through a public private partnership. Currently three public private partnership agreements are in place and three networks are under development: Beckley area (including Raleigh and Fayette Counties); Parkersburg area (including Wood County) and the Bluefield area (including Mercer County). If you need any further information for your posting please contact me.

Sandy Fain
Vice President, Marketing
iTown Communications

[bgbwvy1]

WV Does Not Allow Municipal Broadband

You are correct in not adding iTown to this map. None of these projects are beyond financing at this point. Wood County has not been approved by the largest city in its jurisdiction, Parkersburg. Cities across the state is speculation -- the largest communities are not interested at this time. I do find it very interesting that iTown would want to listed on a city about municipal telecom, given they steadfastly tell the communities it is not municipal telecom. Verizon is involved mostly in helping our communities -- every one of them we serve is rural in WV -- understand the choice they are making, and the considerable challenges this concept will face, including the fact that WV State Code does not allow cities or counties to engage in telecom activities and the most important one, that no incumbents plan to provide services on their community network. In fact, there are no service providers. This is merely a network buildout.

[Jerry Grasso]

EarthLink's Statement on San Francisco

The following statement is attributed to Donald Berryman, executive vice president of EarthLink and president of the ISP?s municipal networks unit:

"We are thrilled that the San Francisco TechConnect Committee has selected the EarthLink proposal, and we look forward to taking the next step to negotiate a contract to build a municipal wireless broadband network. San Francisco is one of the most progressive cities in the world and our combined offerings with Google, Motorola and Tropos Networks will stretch the possibilities of what a mobile network can do for residents, businesses, municipal government and visitors. We look forward to getting started in building a solution that will bring the incredible possibilities to reality.?

If interested in scheduling an interview to discuss San Francisco or other EarthLink Municipal Network initiatives, please contact these representatives from the ISP?s public relations firm, Text 100. Fiona Doherty, 212.871.3927 [e-mail] or Chris Morse, 617.399.4981 [e-mail].

[Jerry Grasso]

EarthLink's Statement on San Francisco

The following statement is attributed to Donald Berryman, executive vice president of EarthLink and president of the ISP?s municipal networks unit:

"We are thrilled that the San Francisco TechConnect Committee has selected the EarthLink proposal, and we look forward to taking the next step to negotiate a contract to build a municipal wireless broadband network. San Francisco is one of the most progressive cities in the world and our combined offerings with Google, Motorola and Tropos Networks will stretch the possibilities of what a mobile network can do for residents, businesses, municipal government and visitors. We look forward to getting started in building a solution that will bring the incredible possibilities to reality.?

If interested in scheduling an interview to discuss San Francisco or other EarthLink Municipal Network initiatives, please contact these representatives from the ISP?s public relations firm, Text 100. Fiona Doherty, 212.871.3927 [e-mail] or Chris Morse, 617.399.4981 [e-mail].

[lkarisny]

The devil is always in the details.

There are a lot of holes in the SF RFP and a concerning lack of municipal involvement in important public safety applications. As an organization that has researched a variety of muni wireless technologies and business models, we would like to offer some important after thoughts to the Eartlink/Google RFP announcement:

1. There is the capability today to offer multi purpose radios that give migration paths to new commercial unlicensed wireless standards and new licensed public safety and transportation applications. It is important to prepare a network design that will not be lock out of these future municipal services and applications. How many radios are we going to put on a light post? Shouldn?t the public and private muni applications be merged to a single radio solution?


2. What about independent power sources offering operational networks in catastrophes and radio hopping that would allow location specific network mobility requiring no fix power or communication infrastructure? Is this going to be another fixed network design that goes out when the power grid and fixed communication wireline infrastructures are down?


3. Does the radio demarcation point now become the wireless WiFi monopoly or equal access point? Does the search engine now become the local advertising and content monopoly or local content partner?

Our organization doesn?t just complain about things, we actually have answers to these important questions. We would be more than happy to help tweak the SF model to become a more inter-muni friendly. By allowing the migration of future standards and rules, SF could follow a path preparing them for county and national integration. Hat?s off to you Earthlink, Google and SF. At least you got a start and are moving forward.

[Jim Dumont]

add Santa Cruz, CA as considering...

See http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/April/29/
local/stories/02local.htm for info

[Jim Dumont]

add Santa Cruz, CA as considering...

See http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2006/April/29/
local/stories/02local.htm for info

[richcody]

Municipal Broadband

As a public power company, operating as an ISP, we have provided fiber broadband to businesses in Richmond, IN for over 5 years. We also provide wireless broadband here and in Wayne County. We re-sell DSL in East-Central Indiana. Our pricing is comparitive but our service is far superior to that of the phone and cable incubments.

[richcody]

Municipal Broadband

As a public power company, operating as an ISP, we have provided fiber broadband to businesses in Richmond, IN for over 5 years. We also provide wireless broadband here and in Wayne County. We re-sell DSL in East-Central Indiana. Our pricing is comparitive but our service is far superior to that of the phone and cable incubments.

[dblum]

DSL Availability

I've lived in Westminster, MD for over 8 years and was never able to get DSL. Just last week, the Verizon website indicated I could get it, and I immediately ordered it. I received the self-install kit, etc. etc. Then I receive a recorded message saying that after further testing, I would not be able to get DSL. I called and after 1/2 hour of trying to get a live person, was told something like even though it was indicated that DSL was available, due to some issue, possible distance from a "central station", they could not activate it.

This is ridiculous! This is the county seat, not some rural cornfield! Surrounding towns in our county have it, I don't understand why Westminster can't and Verizon never gives me a satisfactory answer, or an answer as to when it will actually be available.

How do I find out what's really going on?

[joebyk]

NH free wi-fi site addition

Please add Peterborough, NH to the muni list. We have free wi-fi in a limited area of the down town district.

[joebyk]

NH free wi-fi site addition

Please add Peterborough, NH to the muni list. We have free wi-fi in a limited area of the down town district.