Article 75. Time for Local Governments to Install Wireless Broadband Internet Access
Many cities across the nation are installing Wireless Broadband Internet access or thinking of doing so. But there are winners and losers and the losers Verison and Bellsouth are lobbying congress to prevent municipalities from cutting into their market share. Bills both authorizing and outlawing municipalities from installing their own wireless broadband networks have been submitted in congress.
The devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has caused many coastal municipalities to rethink their infrastructure. Broadband companies were able to throw up wireless networks with ease in areas where the infrastructure had been washed away. The network can be hurricane proof if the broadcasting towers are built strong enough.
New Orleans plans to offer free wireless Internet access to its citizens within a year, which could make it the first major city to do so. Philadelphia has awarded Internet service provider EarthLink a contract to install a 135-square-mile wireless network. Corpus Christy Texas is using the technology to read municipal water meters.
This technology is new to the general public called Wi-Fi. It originated when local restaurants and coffee houses in most cities began offering free wireless internet connections for their customers. With broadcasting towers the technology is able to cover a large section of the city. New encryption software provides protection for those using the network from hackers who would pickup on user’s signals.
So what are the losers the telephone companies afraid of? Just this. The internet provides virtually free telephone service with no long distance charges a voice connection as well as text messaging. What this means for municipalities is no above ground or below ground telephone wires. But there is more, wireless TV will eventually replace Cable TV. That means no cable TV wires.
So why shouldn’t this be done by private companies? There is no incentives for private companies to do this in rural areas and small towns and telephone companies will fight to save their lucrative business. There will be an even bigger fight when Cable TV is threatened. My advice for municipalities is to go ahead and install now because you can cash-in on business telephone services and fees by internet providers to pay for the wireless towers. There are also the benefits for getting rid of all those telephone and cable TV wires.
For more information see article by Anne Broache Staff Writer, in CNET News.com Published: January 6, 2006.
