According to Andrew Lavalle, writing in The Wall Street Journal: "For proponents of citywide Wi-Fi projects, this has been a tough year -- and one of fresh promise.The idea of setting up networks to beam wireless Internet access across entire cities and towns has been touted for years as a spur to economic development. It also has been promoted as a way to help bridge the so-called digital divide -- the gap between those who have access to all the advantages of the Internet and other digital technology and those who don't, mainly because of lower income.
Progress on such networks has been halting, however, because of financial, technical and political hurdles. And over the past year or so, there have been a string of reversals. The companies that built and maintained some of the most prominent municipal Wi-Fi networks abandoned them, and other projects stalled or were scaled back.
At the same time, though, a handful of communities have applied lessons learned from the first round of failed projects and are developing Wi-Fi networks that are more realistic in their ambitions and business models.
[ via muniwireless.com]
Last Thursday, I blogged about the state of free wireless in Oakland County, and across the country.
On Friday, the Federal Communications Commission released a report that may, ultimately, open a broad spectrum of airwaves to wireless networks. If so, we might move closer toward a nation-wide, free, wireless network.
Read Wired's analysis of the report and its implications.
And who does Wired blame for the sorry state of U.S. Internet and wireless coverage -- currently 15th in the world? The wireless carriers:
"While FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has expressed interest in offering a free, filtered (porn-free) nationwide broadband network, the wireless carriers aren't quite as enthusiastic about it.
What's their problem? While the U.S.' broadband penetration lags behind fourteen other nations, wireless carriers complain that free WiFi service could interfere with their own networks. What they probably mean, though, is that free WiFi will threaten their existence."
Wireless Oakland – the ambitious plan to blanket Oakland County with free wireless Internet access – may be revived, according to a recent article in the Detroit News.
The project was first rolled out in March 2005, when the County partnered with Michtel – a private company – and selected seven pilot areas in Troy, Royal Oak, Pontiac, Birmingham, Madison Heights, Oak Park, and Wixom.
The County and cities gave Michtel access to utility poles, buildings, and radio towers on which to install access points. In exchange, the company would provide free wireless Internet access to anyone in those areas at a speed that was somewhere between dial up and broadband. If an individual wanted a faster connection, he or she could purchase that from the company.
After the pilot areas were completed, the plan was to gradually increase the wireless areas until the entire County was covered.
From the start, financial problems and delays plagued the project. Eventually, Michtel set up the pilot areas. But in June of this year, the project ran out of money and the plan was put on hold.
Now, according to the company, there might be enough interest from private investors to start Wireless Oakland back up by December.
We’ll see.
The idea of turning entire cities and counties into wireless hotspots, in order to provide a basic level of Internet access for everyone. has been big for the past several years. In addition to Oakland County, Macomb and Washtenaw have explored the possibility. Neither has progressed much.
Across the country, the situation is much the same. In cities like San Francisco, similar plans have been scrapped. Depending on the private sector for such a project hasn't panned out, and most municipalities have been reluctant to recognize the value of providing free public-sponsored wi-fi for their residents.
Unfortunately, the idea that one day soon we would be able to travel across large sections of the States and always be in a free wi-fi hotspot has faded.
To keep up on municipal wireless plans and news, check out MuniWireless.
