Wi-Fi lessons learned in Tempe

(continued from previous page)

Lin believes city planners need a reality check.

"Politicians feel like they can't lose by just saying, 'We need broadband Internet for all--otherwise we will fall behind competing cities,'" he said. "But what is it that they really expect? What is the problem that they are solving? I think a lot of cities aren't quite sure what's possible and what they want."

Some of them are calling Tempe to find out. Heck said he has talked to officials from cities in Texas, Virginia, California, Florida and even New Zealand.

"I think a lot of cities aren't quite sure what's possible and what they want."

--Albert Lin, telecom analyst, American Technology Research

Tempe's neighboring cities, Gilbert and Chandler, even decided to use the Tempe model and contracted with MobilePro. "Tempe and Gilbert are similar in geography; what would serve one would logically serve them all," said Shawn Woolley, Gilbert's director of technology services.

The three networks, when completed, will cover 187 square miles, and subscribers in one city will be able to connect in all three. Deployment in Gilbert will soon begin.

"I don't think the town will use it very much in buildings. It will be fine for all the town employees that are working outside in the field," Woolley said. "It's not going to be as much of an issue for us as it will be for our customers."

The Tempe model is likely to be used in eight cities where MobilePro has contracts. But the company pulled out of a deal in Sacramento, Calif., when the city and the company could not agree on a business model for the network.

Sacramento officials suggested that the service would be financed by advertisements, a solution MobilePro did not find viable without subsidies from the city. When Sacramento said no, the company withdrew the offer, according to the city and company.

As in Tempe, MobilePro planned to offer free 56Kbps service in a limited area in the center of the city. Sacramento looked at the Wi-Fi plans of other cities. "If that's acceptable to Tempe that's their call," said Stephen Ferguson, chief information officer of Sacramento's IT department. "Our city council wants 300Kbps free access citywide, and we see it happening in San Francisco, Portland and Philadelphia."

Tempe's largest neighbor, Phoenix, is also planning a wireless network and is watching what happens in its suburb, said Kristine Sigfridson, chief information officer of Phoenix's IT department.

Phoenix officials have already decided not to build a border-to-border network, because most of the city has access to affordable cable broadband. "We are having a hard time justifying why we would partner to implement and support a whole infrastructure of unproven technology when there is something that is working very well now," Sigfridson said.

She is skeptical that dial-up speed would be appealing, and doesn't think enough people are willing to pay for wireless service to make it worth a contractor's investment. "They've got to make money doing it," Sigfridson said. "Nobody's been successful with that yet." Instead, Phoenix will finance free high-speed wireless access inside city facilities such as the airport, convention center and libraries.

But don't count out Wi-Fi projects like Tempe's quite yet. Craig Mathias, a wireless technology analyst at the Farpoint Group, thinks that while some municipal projects may sputter for a time, ultimately Wi-Fi will only gain popularity.

"I don't think we're going to see a wholesale movement from wired to wireless straightaway," Mathias said. "But I think a lot of people ultimately will end up using Wi-Fi as primary broadband access."

[201212211111]

How much!

$29.95 a month for a wireless network I can't connect to. Where do I sign?
(Even if I could connect $29.95 is WAY too expensive).

[Mendz]

Reality Bites...

The truth is, providing the service costs money. And maintaining it at a certain quality level costs more money.

[woofs_a_lot]

WiFi WiMax Blend

Looks to me like the higher bandwidth and broader coverage
makes WiMax a great alternative to the Tempe Mesh Network
scheme. Police, Fire, Ambulance etc can utilize mobile WiMax
client devices that will perform more reliably and with greater
bandwidth. Underneath this would be the WiFi (hotspot) blanket
which would not need to be pressed into a difficult 100 percent
coverage. Instead it could be more limited to congregation
locations and residence and commercial WiMax to WiFi
conversion CPE equipment would guarantee better coverage
without the extensive "patching".

The one issue that WiMax raises is the need for spectrum
controlled by the city, but with analog TV spectrum coming
available in the future this may not be a problem. It all depends
on the politicians, ooops that might be a problem.

Don

[dollpretty]

Wi-Fi is a wireless network.Everyone believes this muncipal Wi-Fi wireless network and the information it carried helped lead to a peaceful resolution.this is useful for all.
============================================================================
dollydoll

ArizonaDrugTreatment

[dollpretty]

Wi-Fi is a wireless network.Everyone believes this muncipal Wi-Fi wireless network and the information it carried helped lead to a peaceful resolution.this is useful for all.
============================================================================
dollydoll

ArizonaDrugTreatment