FeedPeoria now behind the wireless curve
January 31, 2006 in Overset Tags: muni wifi, rockford, wireless
I’ve been urging Peoria to get ahead of the curve and initiate a city-wide wireless broadband Internet service. It’s becoming increasingly clear that it’s becoming a case of avoiding failling too far behind the curve. Rockford is already doing what we here in River City are only beginning to talk about.
Welcome to the hot zone.
In what’s being called a major step toward improving the region’s technological backbone, downtown laptop and PDA users can now access the Internet through a high-speed wireless network.
The network, being broadcast from four cellular-type antenna stations atop Rockford buildings, is owned by privately owned ROC-net Services. The fledgling company unveiled its product in front of a jam-packed audience Monday morning inside Stewart Square, 308 W. State St.
The $600,000 system covers about eight square miles in and around downtown. Users with compatible wireless equipment can access the Internet without the need for cables.
Though prices for businesses will depend on the amount of data transferred, individual subscriptions are available for between $7.95 and $19.95 a month.
[snip]
Rockford is far from alone when it comes to wireless coverage. More than 200 communities nationwide are in the process of developing Wi-Fi, or wireless fidelity, systems, according to the ROC-net Web site, www.roc-net.com.
A different article indicates that the plans are for a 10-county system costing about $7 million.
“This is the type of thing that can attract or keep an industry in an area,” [16thDistrict Rep. Don] Manzullo said. “The problem we have in the country is that there’s been this stampede to the bigger cities, based upon how fast you can communicate with one another. … (With this technology), people can continue to live in small towns … and yet be instantly linked around the world.
And here in Peoria, we are debating how many millions to spend on a downtown museum, including up to $3 million for additional parking.
The project in Rockford seems to be a private venture. No one is coming forward in Peoria to offer the same thing.
January 31st, 2006 at 8:49 am
Bill, my guess is if there were a private company footing the bill no one could argue with this… the real question is why isn’t their one?? Anyone who’s familiar with Rockford’s downtown would know Peoria would be much for condusive/efficient for this type of service due to buisness density. Maybe someone should give ROC-net Services a call.
January 31st, 2006 at 9:17 am
BOONDOGGLE!
January 31st, 2006 at 11:28 am
Why hasn’t CAT stepped forward, they put a Global Communications Center at Bradley University?
January 31st, 2006 at 11:48 am
Cat is not in the internet provider business so why should they step forward? This type of Wi-Fi plan sounds like an acceptable type for Peoria, a private company and a subscription fee. Better than taxpayer paid for and free for the asking, I am very sick of working and paying taxes to fund the ever broadening list of free necessitiesfor those that do not pay taxes.
January 31st, 2006 at 1:06 pm
Boondoggle, I say!
January 31st, 2006 at 1:10 pm
BTW, isn’t this basically already available from Verizon? And on a much larger scale?? I’ve seen it in operation. A little plug-in card with a tiny antenna??
January 31st, 2006 at 4:23 pm
And why isn’t Verizon and Sprints EV-DO, or Cingular’s 3G more widely used? Much too slow? Eratic service? Too costly? Poor ease of use? Proprietary technology? I’ve seen their ’service’ too…. it is only attractive to some businesses, for the rest of us, it is inadequate and way behind technology curve.