Public wireless in Kirksville
Jul 23rd, 2008 |
Last week, we had our first meeting of the newly-formed Wireless Committee. Its members are:
Bryan Krusniak - ATSU Information Technology Services (ITS)
Bob Ehrlich - ATSU Facilities & Plant Operations
Jim McNabb - Truman ITS
Todd Kuhns - City Council
Mike Fleetwood - ETC Computerland
Cherie Bryant - Assistant to the City Manager
Gene Schneider - County Commissioner
The goal of the committee is to investigate the technical feasability and funding possibilities for creating public wireless hotspots around the city. One possibility is to begin with the downtown square and/or a city park or two. The committee is already actively doing research and exchanging emails. I will keep you updated as we progress.
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Rebecca Murphy said:
How very exciting! I hope this all works out and becomes a reality.
Rebecca
Mike said:
Interesting to see that our lil’ community would be thinking of something like this. I can tell you that since there is already a wireless provider in town (although you would have to use their specific equipment), if this is in any way tax-funded, you’ll have a TON of people against it.
I don’t know how many communities have been successful in setting up such a service, but I have read nothing but horror stories about failed implementations (ISP’s walking away, municipalities running out of funding what with having issues getting taxes passed for it, etc).
One thing I’m wondering — what is the intended use? With how cheap internet service is (AT&T, even though I despise this company, offers a $10 monthly DSL service; of course, they were forced into it as part of the merger agreement, but still…), do we *really* have a need for it? Are there droves of people asking for service to be available in the parks, for example?
admin said:
@Mike: These are valid concerns. A number of citizens have asked for it, and other communities have done it or are doing it now, which is why we are exploring the possibility. I do know of other communities that have successfully implemented wireless on a limited basis. Fairfield, IA has a pretty aggressive community-wide internet program with several facets. I believe they are also trying to get fiber-optic cable to every home and business, so it’s much more ambitious than what we are looking into.
There’s been no talk of tying it to any particular company, although obviously SOME company would have to provide internet service. I imagine it would be awarded via a fair bidding process, like any other taxpayer-funded project.
Again, we are merely in the very early stages of exploring the possibility, so your suggestions are valuable. Please continue to follow and join the conversation as you are interested.
Mike said:
Interesting. I don’t care much about the wireless access, however, I could definitely get behind an initiative for FTTH. Verizon is the only large company doing anything of the sort (at least, the only large company getting any publicity for it), so we’d have little to no chance of getting it any time soon unless our City or State governments were to do so.
What I’d like to see is FTTH, with all the leads going to a central location that any vendor could use to provide us services. I could see companies like AT&T, CableONE, Speakeasy, etc offering TV, Phone, or Internet access (or a combination of the three) over the lines, paying only a small maintenance fee back to the city (to pay for the maintenance/upkeep). They’d provide their own equipment, all they’d do is hook up to the cables.
I’ve read about small communities (much smaller than ours) doing something very similar and have always thought it’d be a great thing for other local governments to do.
The way I look at it — the big TelCo’s aren’t going to do it — why don’t we, and then charge them for use of the lines?