Slog - Comments on My New Civic Mission Was Gonna be... http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be stumping for Seattle to provide free Wi-Fi citywide. Then I read this report by the New Millennium Research Council. Here's a snippet from the (convincing) Capitalist pigs: Here’s the spin: municipal Wi-Fi networking is a widespread, growing, David versus Goliath effort to bring broadband connectivity to communities poorly served – if at all – by existing broadband providers. Impatient and frightened of being left behind in the information economy, these communities can build and operate their own networks at rates much lower than those offered by companies whose goal is to make a profit. Consumers will get free Internet access... Copyright 2008 Tue, 14 Aug 2007 13:40:30 -0800 Sun, 19 Aug 2007 09:30:48 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Nick I always wonder about security on these municipal WiFi networks. If I'm not supposed to bank online in a coffeehouse, why would I want to do so over another 'free' network that everyone can access? Or am I missing something here?

]]> Nick http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783185 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783185 Politics Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:07:17 -0800 Comment by Cato Why not just give everyone Clearwire account, be a whole lot cheaper.

]]> Cato http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783191 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783191 Politics Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:11:39 -0800 Comment by UNPAID BLOGGER The RIAA & MPAA hate free WiFi, since it makes it near impossible to track down illegal downloaders.

That in and of itself is incentive for me.

]]> UNPAID BLOGGER http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783204 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783204 Politics Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:23:31 -0800 Comment by adamblast I'm a long-term resident and native of Lompoc, California... a 40k-sized town not near any freeway which has been a famous test case for municiple WiFi.

It seemed like a great idea. DSL and Cable were taking *forever* to make their way to our little burg, and the window of opportunity was certainly there. But once it was announced, big media and big politics swarmed all over the town. The DSL and Cable providers made sure to have their systems up & running--and cheap--while the municipal system was still fighting the tech issues and the big-money interests trying to kill it. In short, it's been an expensive sinkhole.

]]> adamblast http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783218 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783218 Politics Tue, 14 Aug 2007 14:34:42 -0800 Comment by You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me "Proponents of municipal Wi-Fi networks have been unable to provide a coherent list of the benefits taxpayers will receive for their investment. Though some have attempted to define benefits in simple and vague terms, they can provide no quantifiable cost/benefit analysis. There is no proven business model for such networks, and cities are unable to show any realistic research data indicating how many people will use the service, whether they will pay for the service, or how the city will pay for the network if the plan doesn’t pan out."

Sounds like the Liberal poster child.

]]> You_Gotta_Be_Kidding_Me http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783283 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783283 Politics Tue, 14 Aug 2007 15:47:57 -0800 Comment by Russell @4: I'd guess a big part of why it's been an expensive sinkhole is the cost of fighting the big-money interests trying to kill it.

Cringely's latest articles have been pretty relevant to this question:
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2007/pulpit_20070810_002683.html

]]> Russell http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783309 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783309 Politics Tue, 14 Aug 2007 16:03:59 -0800 Comment by K Is that why cities are looking into municipal wifi? I thought it was because they saw the benefit of information mobility to modern commerce.

]]> K http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783409 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783409 Politics Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:38:00 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Look, they're trying to push WiMAX to kill off Wi-Fi, since most people use free or near free Wi-Fi.

Not because it's better, but because they can make money off of people if they kill free Wi-Fi.

Don't give in.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783424 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783424 Politics Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:49:18 -0800 Comment by Orv What's really needed is broadband to rural areas. Cities are generally already well-served.

]]> Orv http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783479 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783479 Politics Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:00:12 -0800 Comment by exelizabeth I just spent a week without wireless in the DC region because private businesses didn't offer or bother to maintain their wifi signals and there was hardly an open network to be found. Just sayin', it's not like private businesses have exactly been stepping it up.

]]> exelizabeth http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783897 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c783897 Politics Wed, 15 Aug 2007 12:40:17 -0800 Comment by Simon $19,95 per month for like 3 months then it rapidly climbs above $30 or more. And you still get mediocre upload speeds.

]]> Simon http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c786071 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/08/my_new_civic_mission_was_gonna_be#c786071 Politics Sun, 19 Aug 2007 09:30:48 -0800