The citywide Wi-Fi reality check

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Warning EXTREME rant bump ahead

When has anything that any gov be it a munincipality, state or federal not become bolloxed up? Look at cable franchising. Cripes I cannot even get decent cable in my area. I am unlucky enough to live on the boundaries between two systems. System A (mine) sucks they refuse to upgrade in my area charging me full price for 26 cable channels all the while in population areas they receive 110 basic cable channels for the same price. System B ahs an office 4 miles from my home and I am not allowed to get service from them and they have told me I would could be eligible for all their services in full if the gov had not set up franchising and protected areas they way they did.

"Large cities such as Philadelphia and San Francisco see wireless broadband technology as a low-cost solution to providing broadband access to low-income residents."

Why is it so all fired important to get broadband access to low income people? Since when has what really amounts to entertainment become an entitlement to low income families? Wazzoooo low income families will have broadband access available to them. Who is going to purchase/install the peecees for them. I noticed that Dell is offering a $299 peecee, are the "rich" taxpayers going to be forced to pay for the low income folks peecees through their taxes? What are the access fees going to look like? Will the fees be pro-rated according to income or area someone lives in? If that is the case then that is patently unfair. Don't even go to the "you can afford it argument" I won't respond. Since when is it the cities responsibility to provide a low cost solution to broadband? There already low cost solutions to access the internet through dial up. Most libraries offer internet access for free or a small fee. All this argument amounts to is a "VOTE FOR ME" additon to the politicians resume.

"wireless can be deployed for about $20 to $25 per household. Philadelphia has about 590,000 households, according to the 2000 Census. Using that number, the city figures it will cost roughly $10 to $15 million to reach every household, according to its business plan."

Reading the Philly "business plan" I am not seeing where anyone can use the service in home. They speak of "HOTSPOTS". Were is the home provision that the story alludes too? What this looks to me like is the system is set up to service a select group (not the poor and low income) at the cost of others pocket book. Phillys plan requires a hotspot to use it, so if a citizen never goes to those hotspots then he is paying for a service he never uses. That ain't right. Looks like theft to me.

"Many believe the networks will help boost economic development by drawing more people to the city."

Now wait one darn minute. Last I read trends are people are moving out of the city to the burbs. WiFi access does not look to me like any great incentive to move back to the city. I have lived in three major cities and seen all kinds of plans to revitalize the cities. New streets new lights, stadiums etc and I have not yet seen people staying in droves in the cities after say 9 o'clock on a regular basis. Folks that argue with me on this point like to point out the "loft movement" (Houston in particular). Lofts living has set up small communities around the city proper but the downtown area remains a haven fro drunks druggies and prostitutes after dark. (Hmmm maybe I'm missing something there). WiFi as an attractant ranks way high on my BS meter.

I will conclude this rant with this:

"There are some technical issues that need to be addressed, and cities really need to look at the operational and business issues that come with building and owning their own network."

Cities won't. Especially cities like San Francisico (Houston too). The good idea genie is out of the box and you can be assured that because it is a good idea WiFi will be implimented. I would direct your attention back to the beginning of my rant. All these bright ideas will amount to more taxes, little usage and probably in the end the city will sell the rights to the network to some private company and then we are back to my cable gripe.

End of RANT

Posted by: Squawkbox   Posted on: 05/27/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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