EarthLink and Google win San Francisco Wi-Fi bid

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Let's not forget

There are more than privacy issues to be concerned when looking at the disturbing Muni WiFi model deal put together in San Francisco by Google and Earthlink. A SF muni wireless advocacy group, Webnetic, saw the deal becoming more business than citizen friendly right from the start. There are many holes in the SF RFP and a disturbing absence of municipal responsibility and participation in the network. I am tired of seeing lobbyist supported state laws and now business special interests being the guiding principals behind the building of our municipal wireless broadband networks. I understand that free is always the easiest way out, especially when a big search and advertising company is based in your region. My concern with the SF RFP is the lack of attention to network designs addressing the critical needs of indestructible interoperable municipal networks serving both the public and public safety personal in the SF region.

Municipals should not be asking the blessing of their state governments or RFP respondents for the deployment of safety first muni wireless networks. These requirements are the obligation of every city in the nation and frankly should be mandated in all vendor RFP?s. The critical need of survivable and interoperable public safety wireless networks have been repeatedly shown in every major recent disaster in our nation. All cities have the obligation to protect their employees and citizens and are legally obligated to use critical tools to support these safety requirements. The only way to affordably and rapidly deploy these crucial safety first WiFi networks in our communities is to partner both the public/private sector and create wireless services that serve both sectors.

We forget so fast. Wasn?t fixing our public safety?s lack of interoperability and the need in creating survivable wireless networks designs the reason muni?s were getting into the broadband wireless business in the first place? Don?t get me wrong, I am glad at least one major city is moving forward with a muni WiFi deployment. Just let?s not think that the Google/Earthlink deal is the end all national model of serving all the community WiFi needs.

Posted by: lkarisny   Posted on: 04/13/06 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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