FeedSpringfield beats Peoria in race to get city-wide Wi-Fi
August 31, 2006 in Overset
Springfield is getting municipal Wi-Fi access for 95 percent of the city.
What I first started agitating for free muni Wi-Fi Internet access, I argued that it would give Peoria an edge in economic development. Now, we are at the point were if we don’t get muni Wi-Fi, we’re going to be behind our own neighbors. The good news is that the backers think a roll-out could be done by Summer 2007 — a year from now.
I understand what the critics are saying. Muni WiFi will compete with existing, for-profit Internet Access Providers. But I don’t see these companies lining up to build the infrastructure necessary to offer this particular service. I would be very surprised if AT&T or Insight or both weren’t eager to submit their proposals to the Peoria Wireless Group.
August 31st, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Myou-Nee! Why-Fi
(clap)
(clap)
(clap, clap, clap)
Now we are all DOOMED. Springfield Wins! Peoria Loses!
Whoa is us! Whoa is all of us!
Myou-Nee! Why-Fi
(clap)
(clap)
(clap, clap, clap)
August 31st, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
“Free”
“Free” who?
“Free Market”
Bill sez:
“I don’t see these companies lining up to build the infrastructure necessary to offer this particular service.”
I sez: Examining the “free market” system, can we think of any reason why this might be? Perhaps there is a lack of SUPPLY because there is also a lack of DEMAND.
The Public Muni Wi-Fi idea is - well - it rhymes with Sockamamie.
——————————————–
My apologies on the earlier post - ‘Whoa’ should be ‘Woe’.
Myou-Nee! Why-Fi
(clap)
(clap)
(clap, clap, clap)
August 31st, 2006 at 12:54 pm
I think Bill said it best when he said: “Folks, the free market will provide a solution.” or maybe it was “Trust me on this, free market solutions work the best” or maybe it was…
Wow. No need to worry about if the museum gets built. Peoria will die of lack of WiFi LONG before the lack of culture gets us (you can stop quivering now, Mr Grieves).
Of all the contradictions of the Pundit, this has to be the worst.
August 31st, 2006 at 12:58 pm
Free access??? I find it hard to belive AT&T is willing to lose most if not all of it’s DSL business. It sounds like they’re shooting themselves in the foot majorly. I know they’re pissed Insight is about to ruin their phone business but geez….
August 31st, 2006 at 1:00 pm
Or in an even more recent post, Bill says:
We keep building places for the well-to-do to entertain themselves and improve themselves (Museum Square, Peoria Civic Center, RecPlex, O’Brien Field) while so many basic needs remain unmet (adequate police and fire protection, crumbling sidewalks).
Yep. WiFi is more important than adequate police and fire protections and crumbling sidewalks.
One question: Will the new WiFi service be able to use the radio towers and the closed fire stations and police substations to broadcase their signal? It seems like a shame to let these buildings just sit empty.
August 31st, 2006 at 1:32 pm
Tax supported Muni WiFi - just one on the bricks paving the Good Intentions hiway to hell.
August 31st, 2006 at 1:36 pm
He’s just happy because he wouldn’t have to pay for the internet
August 31st, 2006 at 1:43 pm
But Vonster! If we don’t get free Internet, Springfield will be SOOOO much better than us!
August 31st, 2006 at 1:45 pm
Tony: Springfield ISN’T better than us, just in a better position to attract high-paying jobs and middle and upper-class residents because it has better infrastructure.
August 31st, 2006 at 1:48 pm
A couple things: the article states that those hopping on the “free” WiFi in Springfield have to endure lots of advertising for the privelege. Secondly, I was pleased to see Mayor Ardis was quoted as saying that WiFi is *not* a basic city service. He’s right.
August 31st, 2006 at 2:02 pm
Bill sez:
“Springfield ISN’T better than us, just in a better position to attract high-paying jobs and middle and upper-class residents because it has better infrastructure.”
I sez:
Schee-ya! Free Wi-Fi access cancels out the crappy schools and the crime. It probably even clears up acne and crabgrass.
August 31st, 2006 at 2:08 pm
Bill, to repeat your statement:
—
We keep building places for the well-to-do to entertain themselves and improve themselves (Museum Square, Peoria Civic Center, RecPlex, O’Brien Field) while so many basic needs remain unmet (adequate police and fire protection, crumbling sidewalks).
—
You specifically say that attracting middle and upper-class residents should not be a priority in Peoria. So which is it?
August 31st, 2006 at 2:08 pm
AT&T’s actions smell pyhrric.
August 31st, 2006 at 2:15 pm
pyrrhic
adj 1: of or relating to a war dance of ancient Greece; “pyrrhic dance movements” 2: of or relating to or containing a metrical foot of two unstressed syllables; “pyrrhic verses” 3: of or relating to or resembling Pyrrhus or his exploits (especially his sustaining staggering losses in order to defeat the Romans); “a Pyrrhic victory” n 1: a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed syllables [syn: dibrach] 2: an ancient Greek dance imitating the motions of warfare
http://dictionary.reference.co.....;q=pyrrhic
August 31st, 2006 at 2:17 pm
#3 - sorry for the typo.
August 31st, 2006 at 3:46 pm
I’m actually with Billy on this one.
These are not absolutes, people. Basic services should not cancel out economic development. Nor should economic development cancel out basic services. Both are critical.
Basic services = survival
Economic development = growth
No entity can long exist without both. Except, maybe, Gary Coleman. But who wants to be Gary Coleman?
Do we really want to be the Emmanual Lewis of mid-sized markets?
Muni Wi-fi (And for the love of God, Anon, please stop with the chant, already. We get it.) WILL be free market. My understanding is their will be an RFP to offer the services. The market gets paid. Consumers and businesses will be charged. Some low-income folks might get a sliding scale, but that’s about it. All this other crap is hyperbole.
August 31st, 2006 at 4:04 pm
One more time…where do those wireless laptops come from and who supports them?
—————————————
Confidential to Snark: Request denied.
Myou-Nee! Why-Fi
(clap)
(clap)
(clap, clap, clap)
August 31st, 2006 at 4:30 pm
I have to agree with Billy on this one…It will attract young entrepreneurs and various businesses to the Springfield area. Infrastructure stability is extremely important right now with various business markets that are dotcom based.
Tony, has been waiting for this post for a long time.
August 31st, 2006 at 5:28 pm
To all those people crying about how muni WiFi conflicts with a free-market ideology… I must disagree. Tax outlay on this would be minimal, limited to the power ($8k/yr, FTFA) needed to run the networking equipment. The bidding process would be a free and open competition (less any corruption or other tomfoolery). This would be one more competitor to the cable/telco duopoly, and for that reason I can’t wait for it to arrive. Personally, I’d like to see a setup like the Google/Earthlink proposal for San Fran that offers an ad-supported [slower] tier and a pay-based [faster] tier.
August 31st, 2006 at 8:17 pm
When I take a drink from a public water fountain in the park, I don’t think about who might be screwing whom in order to provide me with the service of a refreshing drink of water on a beautiful day. Perhaps someday in the River City after that drink of water, I’ll be able to plop down in the park, pop open my Dell laptop, and enjoy the fine offerings of Peoria Pundit…
August 31st, 2006 at 9:08 pm
What is happening here? How many names is Bill using to post with?
Ever heard of TANSTAAFL? Same for Muni WiFi. SOMEBODY will pay for it and it ain’t gonna be AT&T or whoever runs the show. The city will have to pay for it.
Furthermore, an ad-driven free WiFi connection is NOT going to spur business or growth. Businesses are not going to use this connection, period. No worthwile organization would trust a “free” public connection with their business transactions. It ain’t gonna happen.
The only thing this will do is as Stormin Norman says, allow you to surf the net while sitting on the Riverfront. Big whoop. Meanwhile in the city there are crumbling sidewalks, crumbling arbors, and no fire engine in a VERY centrally located fire station.
Ben: Yes I would like to see something like the Google deal too. A business doing the city and the citizens a favor. Not publicly funded.
I wonder… If CAT decided to do the city and the citizens a favor by spearheading and funding a major “quality of life” project in Peoria, would it be met with the same welcome-wagon on this forum? Oh wait…
Toot-toot! Here comes the Contradiction Train.
September 1st, 2006 at 7:53 am
It’s all hooey.
September 1st, 2006 at 10:03 am
If I have said this once….we already have the Wi-Fi infrunstructure built. A5 shoots wireless all over the city.
September 1st, 2006 at 10:12 am
Billy,
As a Libertarian, I continue to be shocked that you stand behind government-sponsored WiFi. I must have missed that Constitutional Amendment. Our tax dollars, hard at work.
September 1st, 2006 at 10:53 am
Hey!!! We have to get our socialized medicine first!!! Hillary said so.
September 1st, 2006 at 12:41 pm
Cory: As I’ve said many times, I’m a “libertarian.” Nor a “Libertarian.” I don’t follow the party line. The Internet itself would not exist without the government. So, I am therefore — s a libertarian — required to be of the belief that the Internet should NOT exist in a perfect worlkd. I think not.
September 1st, 2006 at 3:29 pm
Tony sez: “Furthermore, an ad-driven free WiFi connection is NOT going to spur business or growth. Businesses are not going to use this connection, period. No worthwile organization would trust a “free” public connection with their business transactions. It ain’t gonna happen.”
I sez: That statement proves that when it comes to the internet, you don’t know what you’re talking about. Are you saying that a person can not used a wi-fi securely? Any wi-fi? Maybe if you just clicked on the “Help” menu of Internet Explorer and choose “About Internet Explorer…” you can read about the “cipher strength” of the browser. It’s called encryption. If you use Mozilla (Firefox, Netscape) it’s the same. It’s safer than saying your credit card number over a cell phone and as safe, if not safer, than giving it out on a land line.
September 1st, 2006 at 10:30 pm
Just think what life in Peoria would be like if only we had Wi-Fi…
1) No more crime. Every person considering doing a criminal act would be too busy being on the Wi-Fi system to actually do the deed.
2) No more poverty. Every person who is presently poverty stricken would now be able to work from home with Wi-Fi firmly in their grasps.
3) No more idiocy or stupidity. Everyone would have access to the great news breakdowns available on their laptops… thanks to Wi-Fi.
4) A happy and smiling society… able to play Solitaire and Screw the Clown on their laptops, thanks once again to WI-FI.
5) An aware and free-thinking public. Yes, all of those pop-ups and virus-sucking e-mails would now be THAT much easier to latch onto… THANKS once again to Wi-Fi.
Yes, people… just as soon as Wi-Fi can be provided to the people of Peoria, the gateway from I-474 to downtown along Adams will sprout up with American Elms, daffodils, and smiling tamale vendors.
Sah-Lute to YOU, Wi-Fi! The High Tech Savior to all that is Heathen!
September 5th, 2006 at 11:23 am
Maybe someone can answer me this…What’s the range on this muni WiFi? For it to be practical, it would have to be at least, what, 1/2 a mile to a mile? If this is the case, what would be stopping someone who lives and works in Tazewell from using the WiFi that taxpayers in Peoria are paying for? Just wondering.
September 5th, 2006 at 12:53 pm
It would not be available in East Peoria because of the big Anti-Muni-Wi-Fi shield that would be constructed along the riverfront.
Also, the WEP key would be a secret, available only to those on Representative Aaron Schock’s mailing list (sorry Bill).
For those beams that do leak across the river and who are able to deciper the WEP (one, two, three, four, five - if you’ve seen “Space Balls”), there would be a Ginormous Robot patrolling EP, crushing any laptop stealing the signal.
September 5th, 2006 at 1:07 pm
Emtronics: Sorry buddy. You are wrong on multiple accounts. Cipher strength of IE? Mozilla? That refers to the browsing session, not to the ecryption of the data flying through the air on the public spectrum. This would be an open network. Traffic coming to your laptop would be accessible from any device on the network. Any virus that I have would propigate to any device on the network. Who cares about cipher strength when you would get nailed by Ads and viruses.
Businesses with needs other than simple browsing the “Internet” to kill time ain’t gonna use free Muni WiFi.
This isn’t about the “Internet”, this is about the transport of your data from your laptop to the “Internet” gateway, whatever it may be. Your DSL, Cable, or Dialup connection is relativley secure because it isn’t available to EVERYONE IN THE FREAKIN CITY.
September 6th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
“The Internet itself would not exist without the government.”
Ah geez, still spouting that myth? You sound like Kevey.
September 7th, 2006 at 10:17 am
Months after the first postings about wifi, Vonster et al are still spouting the same vitriol and baseless arguments against a potential service offering that has the ability to transform a community.
Your lack of foresight is amazing. Since you don’t reveal your identity, I can only prey that you all are not our elected officials or involved with the economic development organizations for Peoria or the surrounding comunities.
You want to be a luddite, fine. But to deny that this avenue we are going down will be revolutionary in the grand scheme of things and overall improve the quality of life in America is just to unabomber for me.
Look at virtually every major market in America. Nearly all either have or are in planning stages to implement a similiar level of free public access with tiered services layers over it for a fee.
September 7th, 2006 at 10:53 am
Chad- We are hardly luddites, as our presence here will attest.
You want to improve “the quality of life in America,” I don’t think free internet is where you start. I think you start with safer roads, safer streets, and safer neighborhoods.
September 9th, 2006 at 4:33 pm
last mile access is low hanging fruit compared to the three things you mentioned. not to mention that it’s way cheaper.