Wireless Tech Chat

This, of course, is no surprise, but according to a spokesperson from San Franciso Mayor Gavin Newsom’s office, EarthLink has pulled out of the negotiations to build a citywide wireless network with Google. EarthLink earlier this week announced a massive restructuring including the layoffs of nearly half of its workforce, and a number of citywide wireless projects they were involved in will either be shelved completely or managed by another vendor.

The San Francisco network is still very much up in the air, and Google may partner with someone else to offer a proposal.

In any event, the staggering downfall of what once was the standard bearer of muni WiFi continues to amaze those of us who pay particular attention to the subject. Although it would be premature to say that this portends the death-knell of muni WiFi, the pale-looking guy in the long black coat with a shovel in his hand is beginning to peer around the corner…

[Via San Jose Mercury News]

Despite all of the bad press muni WiFi has gotten lately (including this very blog), 10 cities in the Front Range area of Colorado are planning to build a shared wireless network.

The communities–Arvada, Boulder, Broomfield, Golden, Lakewood, Louisville, Northglenn, Superior, Thornton and Wheat Ridge–have signed a letter of intent with C-Com Affinity Telecom. BelAir Networks will be providing the equipment necessary to build the infrastructure.

The network will cover roughly 137 square miles and the respective cities say they will support the network. Whether that means they will act as anchor tenants is unclear, but that certainly seems like the logical next step.

As mentioned in the linked story, this could be the type of network plan that could drive muni WiFi in the future. It appears that building networks in the larger cities comes with too much baggage, bureaucracy, and red tape, whereby smaller communities, whether acting along or in concert with neighboring towns, can address the issue more directly and can work out the details in a much more streamlined fashion.

[Via Rocky Mountain News]

By now you’ve undoubtedly read and heard about EarthLink’s announcement of a major restructuring which will include the elimination of 900 jobs–about half of its total workforce–and the shuttering of four regional offices. CEO Rolla Huff said that although the company will expect to lose up to $109 million this year, it will not abandon it’s pursuit of the muni WiFi marketplace.

Despite the difficulties, Earthlink says it remains committed to building the wireless networks in Philadelphia, Anaheim, and other cities it has already won the bids for, but other projects in Houston, Chicago, and possibly San Francisco are likely to fall by the wayside.

In addition, Huff said that the company will work on developing a new business model for muni WiFi, which will likely involve local governments assuming more of the financial risk as well as committing to becoming anchor tenants for the networks.

For a long time EarthLink was essentially the “Big Man on Campus” when it came to muni WiFi, and their recent actions certainly will not put a good light on the concept of citywide wireless networks. It remains to be seen if the company can pick up the shattered pieces and start anew, or this really is the beginning of the end, both for them as well as muni WiFi. There is an opportunity for other providers to zoom in and provide wireless services, but they’re going to have to do it in a way that will have to be financially and technologically prudent. Time will tell if this will come to fruition.

[Via InformationWeek]

I’ve been swimming against the tide by saying that despite many concerns about municipal WiFi, mainly because the business model has yet to be truly defined, that the concept will survive and eventually thrive. Now I’m not so sure.

Chicago city officials are shelving plans to build a citywide wireless network after negotiations with EarthLink and AT&T, the two suitors for the bid, failed to materialize into a finalized contract. At the time when the city’s intentions to build a network were annnounced early last year, it looked like the Second City was going about it the right way. They issued a nearly flawless RFP document that lined out in specifics what was expected from the network, what the winning bidder would be responsible for, and what the city would do and could provide to help the process move forward. Everything looked good, and many of us who blogged about it thought this network would be the industry standard.

Cut to August 2007, and things have changed drastically. Chicago specifically pointed out to its suitors that the city would not lay out any funds to build the network, plus it would not commit to being an anchor tenant, either. As a result, the parties have backed away from the table, and a citywide wireless network is unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Plus, as the linked article suggests, the price of Internet access is coming down, especially with cable companies offering triple play packages (cable TV, phone, Internet) for less than $100 a month, and it is proving to be a winning combination in more and more households. In addition, free public WiFi access is becoming more prevalent, especially in the bigger cities, so the scramble to get into the muni WiFi game is waning, at least for the time being.

Things could certainly change, however, for Chicago and other cities big, medium, and small once somebody comes up with a business model that nearly everyone can live with. What probably needs to happen is that a meeting of some of the execs of the major muni WiFi players–EarthLink, MetroFi, ePath Communications, etc.–as well as industry gurus like Craig Settles should take place and they work to hammer out a business template that all parties can agree upon and enact.

Something like that needs to happen, or muni WiFi’s slide into oblivion will come about sooner than any of us ever expected.

[Via Chicago Tribune]

With the recent announcement of Long Island’s Suffolk and Nassau counties awarding their muni WiFi project to e-Path Communications comes the serious thinking about what this network will do for residents and businesses.

At this point, officials from both counties are looking at ways to leverage the wireless network, with thoughts ranging from data being sent from electric meters through a router to the utility, wireless surveillance cameras being monitored by local and county police officers, and various government services being completed by workers while away from their offices.

As we’ve discussed here before, the muni WiFi concept has been taking its fair share of hits lately, and it might be wise for the Long Island project to find usage in the aforementioned areas before network supporters begin making their pitches to the consumer sector. Plus, with Long Island being such a large area and one of the most heavily taxed areas in the U.S., the time to start talking about user fees may be in the future. However, the project is expected to cost around $150 million, so it will be important to have both county governments and larger institutions (universities, hospitals, etc.) get on-board as paying anchor tenants so the project isn’t left wanting for funds as build-out progresses.

It’s not going to be an easy sell, but we are definitely in the midst of a paradigm shift in the muni WiFi world, and relying on just the “coolness factor” of the technology is not going to cut it anymore.

[Via Newsday]

Trenton, New Jersey, the state’s capitol, is looking at possibly developing and deploying a citywide wireless network.

After issuing an RFP back in the spring, the only company that responded to its specs was e-Path Communications of Tampa, Florida. At this point, the city and the company are working out details on how the plan could be accomplished.

It would be interesting to find out if any other companies responded to the RFP and, if so, what excluded them from being considered. There is talk of issuing another RFP to gain further interest, but whether that idea gets off the ground remains to be seen.

Although New Jersey’s capitol city, Trenton continues to have its share of problems, including economic issues as well as a high crime rate. However, city officials believe that a wireless network could be leveraged by the police department for surveillance as well as accessing data while on patrol.

In addition, e-Path would likely look for the city to be an anchor tenant and have government workers use the network to streamline services. E-Path offers a basic wireless network service for users at about $20 a month, but because Trenton has more than its fair share of economically challenged residents, some sort of tiered-service platform would most definitely have to be worked out.

[Via NJ.com]

One of the more exciting areas that wireless technology has found increasing usage is in the hospital setting, where wireless network access, VoIP telephony, and devices and applications used to treat and care for patients.

Facilities such as Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago are leveraging wireless technology such as in portable heart monitors to keep tabs on patients at all times while allowing them the ability to leave their rooms and move around the building, with the permission of their caregivers.

In addition, patients, caregivers, and visitors are better able to access the Internet wirelessly to view information and, in the case of patients, allow them to occupy their time a little more productively than staring at the ceiling or at the television in their rooms. Plus, doctors and other hospital staff can use their PDAs and other monitoring devices anywhere within the building, which gives them the flexibility to access information and respond at any time.

Of course, this technology does not come cheaply, but hospitals will have to adapt in order to better care for their patients.

[Via PCWorld]

In a post I wrote a couple of weeks ago, I talked about how people are giving up their landlines and going all-cellular in increasing numbers. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a study not too long ago that addresses this issue, but in the context of their conducting of their annual National Health Interview Survey.

According to this story, it seems that the CDC is now making it a point to ask people in their survey what kind of phones they have–landline, cellular, or both–and asks how best to call them back in order to make sure the data they collect is accurate. If the CDC is unable to call back survey respondents to either clarify information or seek more data, it can likely skew the results and this could eventually lead to patient/disease information that may be inaccurate or incomplete.

Plus, the demographics of who is going all-wireless is interesting to note–more than half of all adults living by themselves are going all-wireless, while the overwhelming majority of adults 45-to-64 (and older) still rely on their landline phones as their primary telephone with a cellular phone acting as a secondary source.

What this means is that the CDC or other groups who conduct surveys will have to work that much harder to be able to reach enough of a survey sample to reflect accurate results, which is why there remains a strong call for a wireless phone number directory despite the concerns about privacy, especially when it comes to telemarketers.

It really is interesting to think about. If you take it to the nth degree, would a cellular phone directory be necessary in the future when it comes to surveying the population, whether for patient information, political polls, or consumer data? As this story suggests, there isn’t a large enough segment of the population yet that has gone all-wireless to really see a definitive trend, but in 10 years, or even 5, that could very well change.

[Via Newsday]

The last few months haven’t been very good ones for the citywide wireless network sector. The problems with San Francisco’s network, as well as those reported from Milwaukee, St. Petersburg, Florida, and Yuma, Arizona, among others, have led to skepticism and second-guessing by governmental officials, technology insiders, and the general public as to whether muni WiFi is really all that it was supposed to be.

Now we learn that the test programs taking place in two Hartford, Connecticut neighborhoods–Bushnell Park and Blue Hills–have been suffering from a lack of consistent connectivity as well as an inflating budget. To address these connectivity problems, more nodes are being placed around the Bushnell Park neighborhood, but that is helping to significantly increase the cost of the pilot program to over its original $1 million budget.

Added to that is the expected amount of network users has not been very high (822 in July out of 6,000 unique accounts established), so it appears that Mayor Eddie Perez as well as other network supporters will have to do a better job of marketing the free network to the existing users as well as potential ones in order for it to grow.

In addition, questions are being raised as to how the network will be maintained without a defined source of revenue, so again, the issue of charging users on a monthly basis and not relying solely on advertising and sponsorhips must be broached and resolved quickly or else this network will fizzle out.

[Via Hartford Business.com]

It looks like the citywide wireless network being planned for the city of Yuma, Arizona is undergoing some further delays.

What’s causing the delay is that the company contracted to develop and deploy the network, Kite Networks, is undergoing a change in corporate ownership, and the changeover is wreaking havoc on the scheduled launch of the network. Kite, originally owned by muni WiFi stalwart MobilePro Corp., is being bought by Gobility Inc., and like most company changeovers, projects are left in flux for at least a little while until the dust settles and processes and people can get back to work.

However, this is not of any benefit to Yuma, which originally believed their network would be up and running in May. Back then, Kite said it was having problems negotiating leases to place access points on private buildings, so the launch date was pushed to September.

Now, with all of this corporate stuff going on, the Yuma network will likely be delayed even further, which certainly will not make local officials and the potential user base happy. While this shouldn’t be looked upon as an indictment of the muni WiFi concept, it wouldn’t be a stretch to believe that other cities looking to jump in the fray may have second thoughts, especially if vendors are susceptible to being bought and sold at a moment’s notice.

[Via Yuma Sun]

Interesting story in BusinessWeek regarding the recent difficulties surrounding the development and deployment of citywide wireless networks. After a flurry of activity in 2005 and 2006, it seems in 2007 that muni WiFi has seen more than its fair share of criticisms and second thoughts from city officials, technology insiders, and business experts waxing on as to whether a wireless network actually will do the things it says it will do, mainly “bridging the digital divide” among residents and bringing economic opportunity to their respective business communities.

It goes without saying that muni WiFi has undergone some difficulties recently, but I think there’s too much emphasis on what has been taking place in San Francisco and critics are trying to expand it to the rest of the country and the concept of citywide wireless in general.

Let’s face it, I and many others have written in the past that the business model of building a free network and relying solely on advertising and sponsorships just doesn’t work. The only way these networks will have a chance of succeeding is having a local government and its various divisions sign on as anchor tenants and then offering wireless services to businesses and residents in a fee-based, tiered system. Sure, you probably will have advertisers on the network, but studies have shown that wireless networks will not survive living on advertising alone.

Plus, more than anything else, vendors and local governments have to do a better job of educating the public on what a wireless network can and cannot do for its users. As I’ve said before and will say again, this “if we build it, they will come” mentality has to end–the “coolness factor” is leveling off and now we have to get down to business and figure out what a wireless network will mean to users, whether they be everyday web surfers, business types, or government employees.

One last thought–the telcos, who have and will continue to fight very hard against wireless networks, are moving away from lobbying governments to keep them from authorizing studies and or vendors from coming in and pitching their services. Now, they are going out of their way to offer broadband services that are competing with the likes of EarthLink, MetroFi, and so on. This is not to say that what they offer is better, but we all want freedom of choice, and in the end, the user should win out.

[Via BusinessWeek]

Following the recent collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, many local and state governments are scrambling to have their bridges, tunnels, and other roadway infrastructure inspected and, if necessary, repaired as soon as possible before another tragedy occurs.

In order to get a handle on the structural integrity of their infrastructures, a number of municipalities are turning to wireless technology to assist in monitoring how their bridges and tunnels are holding up under normal traffic conditions as well as under extreme situations, such as congestion or bad weather.

In Upstate New York, for example, a bridge Canton and Potsdam has had 40 sensors placed on it that logs real-time data and is then transferred to a base-station. It would seem logical that this type of program will be expanded throughout New York in the not-too-distant future.

In my own home state of New Jersey, a natural fit for this type of technology to monitor conditions would be the Pulaski Skyway, which connects Newark to Jersey City and on to the Holland Tunnel to New York City. It’s an old bridge, and the one in Minneapolis was built similarly to the Pulaski’s design. There have been some recent articles in the New Jersey press about how this bridge is in need of repair and using wireless technology to monitor it and to determine where the most immediate repairs need to be made would make the most sense.

[Via EETimes.com]

Due to a serious lack of funding, Missouri is the only state in the U.S. that virtually has no wireless 911 service to speak of. And with people being more mobile, as well as the growing trend of ditching landline phones, it is essential that our local portfolio of services include wireless 911.

At this point, there is no system set up to fund wireless 911 in Missouri. There’s been talk of adding a fee onto a cellphone user’s monthly bill, or a fee on tires or batteries. In addition, the state legislature has yet to vote on any kind of measure, either.

Basically, the system lies dormant, and unfortunately it will likely take something catastrophic for someone to sit up, take notice, and get something done. I have to believe that most Missourians would not mind a small fee out of their pockets to fund this essential service, but time will tell if someone will take the initiative and
understand that this is a necessary evil.

[Via Quincy Herald Whig]

A number of towns and municipalities throughout the state of Georgia are applying for grants from the Wireless Communities Georgia program in order to built wireless networks for their residents. In 2006, the state awarded $4 million in grants to six local governments, and it appears the state will equal that total, if not exceed it.

To be eligible for a grant, a community must offer a business plan that details how they will partner with a vendor in order to provide service to potential users. Gov. Sonny Perdue has long been a proponent of increasing broadband services to the public, and it appears this program has seen success.

This is the type of program/example that will further the advancement of muni WiFi, especially to the smaller communities throughout the country that would need a little help from the government to help push their initiatives along.

[Via Savannah Morning News]

First it was San Francisco dealing with problems regarding its planned citywide wireless network. You can now add Milwaukee to the list.

It seems that Midwest Fiber Networks, the company awarded the contract to build the network, says its test section in an area near downtown Milwaukee has been suffering from a number of problems with connectivity and equipment. About 50 people have been testing the network, and some are saying it works well, while others say it isn’t.

All of this means that the promised launch of the network to the entire city will likely not happen early next year, and it also will mean that Midwest Fiber will have to work extra hard to get their equipment to run correctly, which means extra time in building the network, which means extra costs to be incurred.

In other words, Milwaukee’s wireless network is teetering on the edge. Plus, added to the mix is the fact that Midwest Fiber had some problems with meeting deadlines before this all took place, and city officials could be soon looking for an alternative, mainly another vendor to come in and take over the project.

In any case, Midwest Fiber has to step up to the plate real soon, or they will risk losing out on a potentially lucrative network, and Milwaukee’s wireless network will be shoved to the back of the line in the list of the city’s priorities.

[Via Today'sTMJ4.com]