Comments on: Anaheim opens Wi-Fi network

With cut of ceremonial cable, Calif. city joins growing list of others with citywide wireless Internet network.

[Des Alba]

Basic Wi-Fi should be free to users

Additional services beyond basic access should be sold to those who want it. Funding for free basic Wi-Fi access can be obtained through a very modest property tax of less than 1%, as is currently levied for libraries and schools. Internet access should be made available to everyone in America. The libraries and schools are not doing the job. Other countries provide free basic Internet access to their populations, yet America lags behind. Still, I applaud Anaheim for its progressive stance in making Wi-Fi available citywide. In the mean time it is up to individual entrepreneurs to provide free hotspots at coffee houses, restaurants, car dealerships, etc.

[Earl Benser]

Wi-Fi is NOT a tax supported function....

.... You want it, you pay for it, in one way or another. No taxes. Just
subscriptions or sponsors. Too many people want the government
to pay for everything from taxes, like that's a cost efficient
approach. We don't need stupid, we need efficiency.

Besides, Wi-Fi is slow and insecure. No serious internet user would
bother with Wi-Fi except for occasional use.

[kimocrossman]

Misleading - Opens WiFi - not Complete rollout

Guess what? It's only a Downtown 6 mile pilot, even their coverage map shows this to be the case see here:

http://www.emnwifi.com/cities/anaheim/

http://www.anaheim.net/docs_agend/questys_pub/MG6980/AS7019/AS7022/AI7487/DO7488/1.DOC
The May 30, 2006 City Council meeting was called to order at 3:13 P.M. in the Council Chambers of Anaheim City Hall, 200 South Anaheim Boulevard.

PRESENT: Mayor Curt Pringle, Council Members: Richard Chavez, Lorri Galloway, Bob Hernandez and Harry Sidhu.

STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Dave Morgan, City Attorney Jack White, and City Clerk Sheryll Schroeder.

A copy of the agenda for the meeting of the Anaheim City Council was posted on May 26, 2006 at the City Hall exterior bulletin board.
EARTHLINK CITYWIDE WIFI WORKSHOP
Tom Wood, Assistant City Manager, provided an update on the EarthLink WIFI system. Providing background details, he reported Council had authorized a franchise with EarthLink for one of the largest municipal WIFI networks to be privately constructed in the nation that would serve the entire City of Anaheim. He stated the implementation details had been worked through and antenna installation had begun with two square miles now completed as part of the six mile test area in which EarthLink was required to perform a proof of concept as part of the franchise agreement. Mr. Wood indicated the test area was located near City Hall and the antennas could be seen if you looked for them, although they blended into the street lights and/or traffic light poles. EarthLink, he added, would soon go to full deployment Citywide and the only issues remaining were in the Resort area relating to aesthetics for the different style and color of street lights and in Anaheim Hills due to the topography. Mayor Pringle asked what the June 29th target date intended and Mr. Wood responded the six square miles of test area would be up and operating and testing of the performance standards would be completed. Nine months after that date, Mr. Wood indicated the rest of the City would be operational.