Peoria’s WiFi needs not comparable to Milwaukee system

Several people sent me a link to this about about municipal wireless system in Milwaukee. I’m not really all that impressed:

The 14-year wireless agreement, which includes a series of benefits to the city, is with Midwest Fiber Networks of Milwaukee, which is working with other companies, including EarthLink, to create the network. It is to be developed at no cost to city taxpayers, which was a major selling point to aldermen and Barrett.

The agreement calls for the system to be completed in about 18 months, with a “demonstration area” west of downtown up and running in about four months.

[snip]

In future years, the city is to get a rising share of the company’s income. In the short term, the compensation to the city is to be in the form of 60 free Internet sites available to anyone, 400 free accounts to be used by city workers, and other areas such as creation of a job-training program.

There aren’t a lot of details in this article. But since it isn’t mentioned, I’ll assume that it’s missing some of the elements I find most appealing about what is being discussed in Peoria.

There’s no mention of free city wide access. A perfect municipal system would allow anyone to open up a lap top or a desktop, turn ont he computer and get a basic sygnal to allow them to check email and cruise the Web.

Muni WiFi should:

A. Make the city more attractive to business. The ability of business travelers to open up their laptops get online from anywhere in the city — not just select hotspots — would do this.

B. Bridge the digital divide. Computer prices are dropping to the point they will be affordable even by the poor. Free access is essential for people who often do not have checking accounts and credit cards.

The plan being discussed in Peoria includes free basic access as well paid access for much higher speeds and support. And, it would make the city partners with private business and public instututions.

I don’t see any company coming to Peoria offering the deal they offered to Milwaukee — free connections for city workers in exchange for access to the city’s infratructure so they can give access only to those who pay for it.

If Peoria is going to do this, we need to do it right. We have the ability to be ahead of the curve and we shouldn’t make any deals — like this one — that woduld hold us back when it becomes clear that city’s that don’t have a decent muni wifi system will be unable to attract high-tech and high-paying jobs.

wireless,municipal wifi,peoria,milwaukee