CNN Feb 20, 2006
Chicago planning citywide Wi-Fi Windy City community might eclipse Philadelphia http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/TECH/pte...line.afp.g.jpg Chicago's wireless system might period 228 square miles. Detroit, Illinois (AP) -- The hurry to get wireless seems set to increase to its greatest city yet. Detroit is launching an attempt to provide instant broadband, Friday town authorities said, leaping about the group as related projects continue in Bay Area, Philadelphia and smaller towns. Detroit has countless Wi-Fi locations in areas like bookstores, coffee stores and libraries, where anybody could walk-in, take a seat and connect with the Net. Wishing to increase that instant quilt to any or all 228 square miles, the town plans to ask engineering businesses this spring to submit plans for the task. Although it is too early to express how the program could run, the objective is always to make Internet accessibility "broad and affordable" for citizens and increase Chicago's charm for companies and visitors alike, based on Chris O'Brien, the city's chief information officer. The town didn't identify objectives for just how much the machine might cost for entry. In Philadelphia, EarthLink Inc. is creating a community that may cost a wholesale price of $9 per month to Internet providers that could then sell use of the general public at an undetermined cost. "We believe it is essential for citizens of the town and visitors and companies to possess many different methods to connect," O'Brien said. "For a town as large as Chicago, with varied resident foundation and the lively business community that people have, you wish to ensure a myriad of engineering can be found for them because they work and enjoy leisure options." If all goes smoothly, the machine might be operating the moment 2007, O'Brien said. That will all-but undoubtedly keep the town behind Philadelphia, which hopes to possess its whole program in position late this year or early next year. However the size of the Chicago network might dwarf Philadelphia's in the pipeline 135-square-mile network o-r such a thing now in position. Currently, the largest public Wi-Fi network may be the all-free MetroFi in-the south San Francisco Bay region at 35 square miles, based on Wi-Fi pro Glenn Fleishman. By spring, that name is likely to be handed to 1 addressing almost 110 square miles within the nearby Phoenix suburbs of Chandler, Arizona and Tempe, he explained. Cities' competition to get involved with public broadband has been increasingly accepted by Internet providers, because many towns are using individual businesses to help develop the wireless devices in the place of carrying it out independently. EarthLink produced a department a year ago to get offers much like Philadelphia's using the 50 largest cities. Towns besides Philadelphia which have set Wi-Fi projects out for plans within the last four weeks alone, based on EarthLink, contain Portland, Oregon; Bay Area, Anaheim, Pasadena and Long Beach, California; Denver and Aurora, Colorado; Minneapolis; Milwaukee; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Pittsburgh; Arlington, Virginia; and Brookline, Massachusetts. As opposed to seeing the towns' initiatives as opposition, said Don Berryman, leader of EarthLink's public systems division: "This enables us to construct our very own community and offer broadband support everywhere we wish and not need to sort out the Bell company or the cable company, therefore it gives us lots of freedom." Chicago's primary telephone organization, AT&T, says it likewise wouldn't be in opposition to a city-initiated work. "AT&T always has thought the most useful strategy would be to promote expenditure in broadband," spokesman Rick Fox said. "As long when you are dealing with the private sector, that's a great thing." The thought of a citywide Wi-Fi community got a large thumbs-up from Friday a few Chicagoans who have been sitting in bars using their notebooks. "I am always trying to find Internet hotspots," mentioned Beibei Que, a law student getting into some work on a cafe. Wherever I go" "i prefer to have the Web at my fingertips. Katy Harper, who works mainly from her house, said she'd welcome the opportunity to get on the web elsewhere. "It is good in order to stay anywhere and venture out and get connected," she said. Detroit authorities haven't yet devoted to specific objectives for the task, however they don't wish to invest town resources. They've been carefully observing Philadelphia's task, including its concern on low consumer charges and its intention to make sure that more computers and education programs are readily available for low-income citizens. "Our primary objective will be to improve access and help over come the electronic divide," mentioned Robert Bright, board chairman of the Wireless Philadelphia charitable team managing that effort. Fleishman said creating a public Wi-Fi community as large as those imagined in Chicago and Philadelphia might be difficult. He reported problems surrounding the requirement for disturbance and high-powered antennas from existing Wi-Fi systems. "Once you receive into dense urban situations, it's not that it'll not work but it's more problematic," he explained. "Nobody's created a community of the size."
2006 Cable News Network GAS, LLLP.