Well, not exactly. Associated Press reporter Geoff Mulvhill interviewed me last week with regard to the move by Camden and Gloucester Counties in New Jersey to jointly explore the development and deployment of a wireless network. Among the things we talked about were my expectation that this network will bridge the "digital divide" and give those folks who have not had the opportunity to access the internet to now have that chance.
We also discussed the idea expressed by many cities and regions that a wireless network will be a boon economically to these areas. While it will be some time before we see any tangible effects a network will have on a local economy, these same networks are poised to streamline government services, which should save the taxpayers some money. We shall see soon enough.
My thanks to Geoff for contacting me and here's hoping we'll see some positive effects from these networks in the near future.
Officials in New Jersey's Burlington County are not exactly jumping on the muni WiFi bandwagon, at least not as of yet.
Neighboring Camden and Gloucester counties are teaming up to create a wireless network for their respective residents, and they were hoping to bring Burlington County into the fold, but a county spokesman says that because his area is more rural and spread out (826 square miles), they would rather see how it all shakes out first before getting involved.
Of course, cost is an issue as well, but wouldn't it make sense to at least sit in on a few meetings or put together a request for information rather than sitting it out and waiting to see what happens later on? It seems a bit short-sighted to say that they'd rather sit on the sidelines and watch instead of getting into the game.
It's been a hectic week of wireless news and information, and here are five stories we think will keep you plugged in to the action. Enjoy!
SF WiFi contract a done deal It's taken a while, but the city of San Francisco and EarthLink and Google have finally agreed on a contract for the development and deployment of a citywide wireless network.
Vonage to sell wireless internet service, courtesy of EarthLink In an attempt to broaden its portfolio of services, Vonage says they will be selling high-speed wireless internet access provided by EarthLink. Under the terms of a deal announced by the two companies, EarthLink will allow Vonage to offer access anywhere that EarthLink provides WiFi services.
Democrats waste no time in addressing public safety wireless With the U.S. Congress now being in control of the Democratic party, public safety issues like nationwide communications interoperability is already on the radar of the new houses of Congress.
OK Philadelphians, now is your chance to see what this citywide wireless thing is all about.
EarthLink is announcing that those interested in checking out the muni WiFi network it is building for the city can access the network for free until January 21. Anyone within the vicinity of the 15-square-mile area east of Broad Street and north of the Vine Expressway can log on to the network.
According to the company, routers have been placed onl light poles throughout the area and download/upload speeds should reach up to 10 Mbps. Once the free trial period ends, users can sign up for the service at a montly fee of $21.95.
This has been a long time coming, and now the opportunity to see how a wireless network can function in a large city has finally arrived.
The beautiful city of Prague in the Czech Republic is taking steps to bring wireless internet access to its residents.
As of now, plans to develop and deploy a citywide wireless network won't be coming to fruition until sometime in 2008. However, Irish company Anacapa will be offering a system for cafes and hotels and other facilities to provide a free, ad-supported wireless service to customers. The first hotspot will be up and running later next week, with a few hundred more to be established over the course of the year.
Obviously, one may surmise that residents would want the opportunity to connect to the internet from virtually any location within a municipality, but until Prague (or any other city) can get its act together to form a network, giving outside vendors the opportunity to assist others in accessing the wireless web is a smart way of going about it.
In an attempt to broaden its portfolio of services, Vonage says they will be selling high-speed wireless internet access provided by EarthLink. Under the terms of a deal announced by the two companies, EarthLink will allow Vonage to offer access anywhere that EarthLink provides WiFi services.
EarthLink offers the same type of deal with other vendors, but with Vonage having such a high profile in the VoIP space, one could definitely see a scenario where Vonage will bundle phone and internet services in the very near future.
Although Vonage is clearly the market leader in VoIP services nationwide, the company has been struggling since their IPO didn't exactly set the world on fire last year. Will Vonage customers in locations where EarthLink is providing WiFi service, including Philadelphia, Anaheim, San Francisco, New Orleans, among others, opt for wireless internet access as well? Time will tell...
The residents of Minneapolis have been promised a citywide wireless network that will be up and running by the end of this year. According to city officials, various sections of the city will be phased in, with completion of the entire network by November. Access is expected to cost around $20 a month.
As construction is set to begin, some folks still may not be too sure as to whether citywide wireless is for them. This story does a good job of explaining some of the basics so people can get an understanding of what it's all about. Here are a couple of topline FAQs and answers to get the ball rolling.
Q. How to residents access the network?
A. U.S. Internet Wireless (USIW), the company that will be building and managing the network, will send a letter to residents that the wireless network is ready in their neighborhood and they will be able to sign up for the service by going to the company website at or calling the service number provided on the letter.
Q. Will residents have to pay for wireless service on each computer in their home?
A. No. Subscriptions are based on the user name, which allows for the wireless subscription to be used on any computer or device.
It's taken a while, but the city of San Francisco and EarthLink and Google have finally agreed on a contract for the development and deployment of a citywide wireless network.
The contract stipulates that Google will offer free basic service at 300 kbits per second while EarthLink will offer an enhanced service at $21.95 a month at speeds reaching 1 megabit per second. At this point, the contract has to be ratified by the city's Board of Governors, so there's no timetable as to when construction will begin as well as roll-out.
In any case, it's a big victory for Mayor Gavin Newsom who championed the concept of citywide wireless network early on. This network is certainly going to be one of the higher-profile muni WiFi projects in the country, and it is essential that this project succeed for citywide wireless to succeed.
The new year has gotten off to a rollicking start in the wireless world. Here are five stories we believe will get your juices flowing as we hit the first full work week of 2007. Enjoy!
Will the Apple 'iPhone' come to pass this next week? With all eyes on the Consumer Electronics Show that starts next week, many eyes will be on Apple Computer, and if the company actually unveils a wireless handset. The speculation around this one event has gone crazy for nearly two years and I for one want to see Apple release something or not. Just put the rumors to bed.
Avis to rollout WiFi hotspot system in its vehicles Avis Rent A Car, Inc. says it will be introducing a rolling WiFi hotspot system, developed by Autonet Mobile, in its vehicles by March. Drivers will be able to access the internet through a notebook-sized portable device that plugs directly into a vehicle's power supply. The service is expected to cost $10.95 per day.
Wireless electronics spending to slow globally While we continue to hear that smartphone devices -- like phones based on the Windows Mobile platform -- will continue to increase in sales numbers, apparently other wireless electronics won't be following the same growth path in the future.
Wireless access vendors still face skepticism from local governments A number of municipalities across the nation, including San Diego, are being romanced by a number of companies who are willing to build a wireless network for residents and businesses. MetroFi, who is already providing free wireless networks in Portland, Oregon and Aurora, Illinois, among others, offers access with the network being paid for by advertising and sponsorships. If users don't wish to view the ads, they can opt for a paid service.
Making mobile technology accessible to the disabled Is mobile technology enabled for use by our disabled citizens here in the U.S.? That question is sure to bring about a litany of debate, but the National Council on Disability (NCD) has released a policy paper that explores key trends in information and communication technology -- and it highlights the potential opportunities and problems these trends present for people with disabilities.
City officials in Apopka, Florida have given the go-ahead to work out a contract with Motorola to develop a municipal wireless network.
The project, estimated to cost around $2.5 million, is expected to be up and running by the end of this year. Plans call for basic service to be free for users, with enhanced services available at an additional charge.
As with most networks of this type, Apopka officials believe it will bridge the digital divide and provide city employees and first responders access to information from virtually any location within the area.
Garry Betty, the CEO of EarthLink who led the company into the leading provider of citywide wireless networks throughout the United States, died earlier this week at the age of 49 from heart problems associated with adrenal cortical cancer.
Mr. Betty became chief executive at EarthLink in 1996, and the company soon became a major player in the dial-up internet access business. Later on, as that sector began to dry up, he pushed the company into the broadband access arena, which included citywide wireless.
Although it has taken much longer than expected, Google and EarthLink are apparently very close to finalizing the terms of a contract to build a citywide wireless network for San Francisco.
The contract must be approved by the city's board of supervisors, but after months of back and forth between the companies and the city, one would guess that approval would be on the fast track. Construction is set to begin soon after, and we should see parts of the network up and running within a few months.
When this deal was first announced last spring, it was major news. However, with all the issues surrounding security and privacy as well as the protracted negotiations over the contract, this big-city WiFi project has been moved to the back of the line and other projects, including Wireless Silicon Valley and the RFP process in Chicago, have garnered more of the attention. Let's hope San Francisco can get things together and move forward.
A number of municipalities across the nation, including San Diego, are being romanced by a number of companies who are willing to build a wireless network for residents and businesses. MetroFi, who is already providing free wireless networks in Portland, Oregon and Aurora, Illinois, among others, offers access with the network being paid for by advertising and sponsorships. If users don't wish to view the ads, they can opt for a paid service.
However, some city governments are not too sure about giving companies like MetroFi access to public infrastructure such as light and utility poles. But, let's face it, many of these same local officials don't have any other alternative, and the public is increasingly demanding the right to free (or paid) and unfettered access to the internet from just about anywhere in their community.
Let's hope that in this new year, local governments will do their due diligence and offer their citizens real choices in broadband internet access.
Well, 2006 is about to come to a close, and there has been a ton of wireless news and important events that affect all of us in a *wireless way* this year.
2007 should hold more of the same, with wireless transforming the way we do just about everything -- from connecting over the Internet to each other to talking (the old-fashioned way) to data usage to....well, just imagine the possibilities. You think we've seen quite a bit? I think wireless -- in many ways -- is just in its infancy.
Have a safe, happy and fruitful New Year folks -- we are so glad to have you as part of our readership. We'll begin podcasts again shortly after the start of 2007, as they've been on hiatus over the holidays.
Have a Happy New Year!
Mike Sciannamea Brian White www.thewirelessreport.com
As we close out the year and gear up for the new one, here is our last Top 5 list for 2006. Enjoy and Happy New Year to our faithful Wireless Report readers!
Do you still use a pager? Remember numeric and alphanumeric pagers? Those devices that one were as ubiquitous as wireless phones are now have become relics of an age where one-way communication was better than nothing.
Negotiations to finalize SF WiFi contract going down to the wire It looks like it'll go right down to the wire in the race to wrap up negotiations between the city of San Francisco and Google and EarthLink to shore up the contract to begin developing and deploying a citywide wireless network.
Will the Apple 'iPhone' change the wireless biz? Although the rumors around a possible Apple wireless handset have been in the mill for years now, the fervor has taken on a new fever pitch with so many "confirmed" rumors swirling about on what Apple CEO Steve Jobs may unveil at a January event for the Apple community.
WiMax, Italian style The Italian government says it will be opening up spectrum to allow room for WiMax and will offer licenses for space in the band in 2007.
Do you want kid-tracking wireless phones? Tracking features built into most newer wireless handsets -- mostly used for e-911 services using GPS -- are finding newer and better ways into many newer wireless handsets these days.
Well, not exactly. Associated Press reporter Geoff Mulvhill interviewed me last week with regard to the move by Camden and Gloucester Counties in New Jersey to jointly explore the development and deployment of a wireless network. Among the things we talked about were my expectation that this network will bridge the "digital divide" and give those folks who have not had the opportunity to access the internet to now have that chance.
Officials in New Jersey's 
It's been a hectic week of wireless news and information, and here are five stories we think will keep you plugged in to the action. Enjoy!
OK Philadelphians, now is your chance to see what this citywide wireless thing is all about.
The beautiful city of 
n an attempt to broaden its portfolio of services, 
The residents of Minneapolis have been promised a citywide wireless network that will be up and running by the end of this year. According to city officials, various sections of the city will be phased in, with completion of the entire network by November. Access is expected to cost around $20 a month.
It's taken a while, but the city of San Francisco and EarthLink and Google have finally agreed on a contract for the development and deployment of a citywide wireless network.
City officials in 
Garry Betty, the CEO of EarthLink who led the company into the leading provider of citywide wireless networks throughout the United States, died earlier this week at the age of 49 from heart problems associated with adrenal cortical cancer.
Although it has taken much longer than expected, Google and EarthLink are apparently very close to finalizing the terms of a contract to build a citywide wireless network for San Francisco.
A number of municipalities across the nation, including San Diego, are being romanced by a number of companies who are willing to build a wireless network for residents and businesses. 
Well, 2006 is about to come to a close, and there has been a ton of wireless news and important events that affect all of us in a *wireless way* this year.
As we close out the year and gear up for the new one, here is our last Top 5 list for 2006. Enjoy and Happy New Year to our faithful Wireless Report readers!
