Dare to Dream - Free Wireless for downtown
Free Wireless in Champaign Illiniois. I picked up this story on the train back from Chicago.
The article is from the August 3rd edition of the News-Gazette. Some company Go Networks is donating its technology. Here is the punchline from the print edition. Pavlov Media is installing the free system. Krallmayer is their spokesperson.
Pavlov officals also see the system as a community asset that could draw even more people to Champaign’s burgeoning downtown, Krallmayer said.
WOW - a community asset. a “free” community asset.
Champaign Ill - population about 68,000 with Urbana add another 38,000, so 106, 000 people. What do we have in Rochester? About 220,000 thousand people.
From what I can see, Champaign is a big university town (like us). What can we do something like that? it is that difficult? Do we need someone to donate the service? I mean we have Frontier - Or better stated Citizens Communications.
Are our leaders looking for alternatives?
County Executive Brooks proposed a countywide wireless network to be built in “partnership” with Frontier Communications. (this year’s State of The County Address)
I don’t know the status of the deal, but it was at least partly a trade for access to the County’s fiber backbone (John Graham’s been pulling fiber-optic cables through the sewers for quite a while, now…) Frontier would put access points on poles all over town in exchange for access to the sewer fiber.
I think the lej killed the idea, though? Maybe that was a democratic proposal. Anyone remember details?
Time-Warner is (was?) bitter because the County is competing with them.
There’s a newsletter devoted to municipal broadband & wireless. Also, read David Shein’s report (from RIT.)
Also, what about google’s new service?
Hypocrite Maggie - yet again. Filter the library, give those who can afford laptops free access.
Threaten to pull the library budget, all the while negotiating with Frontier to give it away for free. Be concerned about porn access, while contracting to allow the pervs to sit in the park or the school playground “free”.
And you can’t filter wireless. So perhaps Maggie can tell us how she’s going to direct our moral compass, save the world, and deliver on her contrasting statements all while Minerik hails “We are the party of Maggie Brooks!”
So out of touch, so blatently ignorant. Maybe Janet Lomax would be interested in running for County Exec?
You can filter wireless, but I can’t imagine that she would spend the money to do that, so your point stands and I second it-HYPOCRITE MAGGIE- FYE ON YOU. Imagine steam coming out of my ears !!
Why on earth would you not be able to filter wireless?
In theory it is possible. Filtering access to web pages would require the use of a proxy server that would be running software with blacklists on it. At the level of a city-wide Internet, that would cost a lot of money for servers and software, it would be inconvenient because everyone would need to use the proxy server (older browsers and off-brand browsers would need configuration, which might lead to more calls). Also, there are ways to circumvent it.
WiMax for the win!
Also, AFAIK I was at the leg meeting when Maggie proposed the deal. I left early, but it seemed as if the Dems wanted more info and assurances that Frontier wouldn’t gouge and abuse the public trust, but the Repubs just rammed it through and there you go.
I’m still confused by the Frontier initiative. Are they basically planning to build a network that will cover the entire county, but users will be charged for access, unless they happen to be at a library or some other designated location where access will be free of charge.
You can SENSOR it - as is what appeared to have happened in Culver City CA (see related article below…) but I have to ask you - do you want your internet for free so badly that you’re willing to let Maggie Brooks decide what you’re worthy of? And what makes you think that in their filtering efforts, sites or comments like this won’t make the cut? No thanks. I’ll pay double for my “freedom” and 10 times that to keep Maggie Brook’s nose out of my business. What is the price for “free” here afterall?
“Some web surfers on Culver City’s free wireless network won’t be able to access some content anymore. The Southern California city has installed network filters to prohibit pornographic and peer-to-peer traffic. City officials ordered filtering the content after they noticed some users are downloading pornographic content.
Culver City is a small incorporated city on Los Angeles’ southwestern edge. It is home to 40,000 residents, major movie studios, including Sony Entertainment and our new offices. The free wireless network spans about one square mile in the downtown business district, which includes some Sony buildings.
John Richo, Director of Information Technology for the city of Culver City, said that bandwidth was being consumed by pornographic site access and that the activity, “is clearly not something tax dollars should be paying for.” He adds that the content, “defeats the purpose” of such a hotspot.
The city is using the Audible Magic CopySense Network Appliance to filter the content. Audible officials say the appliance will not block any legitimate P2P traffic.”
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/28249/103/
Well, what about those folks who currently can’t afford Internet access? Isn’t something better than nothing?
“Frontier has also agreed to develop free wireless internet zones within this network.”
This tells me that only certain areas will receive free access.
Since Frontier sells Internet service, it stands to reason that they will try to provide the minimum amount of service that will be tolerated by the county, and they’ll take every opportunity to use the “free” wireless service to market their for-pay Internet. It will probably be better than nothing, but only marginally so, and I would be very surprised if people without Internet would be able to use wireless in residential neighborhoods. I imagine that the free service would be limited to downtown and public areas, like parks or places like Blue Cross arena.
…or the Monroe County Office Building in exchange for…
[...] talked about it before (a couple of times actually), but this recent article from the D&C brings the issue back [...]