Additional reading on the subject: About Chaska: http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2004/Jul/1056934.htm About Tropos Networks: http://www.wirelessiq.info/content/qa/9.html Other big cities considering wireless (Philadelphia and Madison) http://www.pottstownmercury.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=12832839&BRD=1674&PAG=740&dept_id=226964&rfi=6 Some local private providers: http://www.implex.net/services/access/wireless.cfm, http://www.boingo.com/pr/pr43.html, http://www.boingo.com/pr/pr43.html
As Chris Johnson clarifies, Chaska does provide its own ISP. I don't know if that's good or bad. I don't think Minneapolis residents should necessarily be isolated from technological advancements because the private sector isn't or can't provide them, but I don't know if that's the case here. Nonetheless, it's a fair question whether municipalities (or at least Minneapolis) should be the service provider. Some additional questions: Can wireless internet service be opened to competitive bids (as is being looked at in Philadelphia)? I wouldn't be against a public wireless internet service on the face of it, but it depends on who else can do it and at what cost. There are companies (see above links) that provide wireless internet connection in Minneapolis, but the service seems restricted to "hot spots", such as the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport, or to businesses. Could this type of private service be expanded city-wide or metro-wide, and to residential as well as business customers? Would there be one or more than one provider? If private companies can't provide it city-wide or to residents, is the City (without considering the capital cost of such an adventure) in a better position to provide it? Personally, I don't think that wireless internet service is an urgent priority for the City, and it's highly unlikely the City has capital funding for it. However, could it not (possibly in partnership with other cities) take the lead in promoting it and creating prospects for private companies to provide the service? Jeanne Massey Kingfield ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Johnson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Jeanne Massey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Jim McGuire" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: September 05, 2004 5:58 PM Subject: Re: [Mpls] Wireless Service > > Jim McGuire > >>One barrier that immediately comes to mind is jobs. Whereas I'm not one of > >>those that thinks the city should never run a business (city owned > >>utilities, for example, often do very well and, unlike our "local" > >>utilities they don't outsource jobs) I do wonder why the city should get > >>involved in a competitive industry. I have a friend who owns an ISP and > >>provides high-speed internet access. If the city decides to undercut his > >>service what is he supposed to do, collect unemployment? > > > Jeanne Massey > > Question: Would wireless service still not need a front-end ISP? I don't > > know in the case of Chaska who that would be, itself or competing companies > > as in the current DSL/cable environment. > > As someone who used to be part owner of an ISP, Jim's question rings close to > home. In fact, Chaska did just that for business Internet service about 4 > years ago, in addition to their recent consumer-level service. The ISP I was > involved with had no chance to compete for service to the businesses in Chaska > because the city was in a position that no one could compete with them. > > In Chaska, for example, electricity is supplied by a city-owned utility. As a > result, many of the utility poles are owned by the city, making it very easy > for them to string cable and mount the antennas needed for their recent > wireless project. Chaska appears to be running their own ISP, as well. > Mailboxes are included with the access. > > Back in about 2000, though, in partnership with a couple of private firms who > got no-bid contracts, they created high speed Internet connectivity for > businesses, and worse, misled 3Com (I believe it was) into supplying them > 5-figures worth of equipment as a "grant" to provide greater community access. > Funny, but I bet that grant meant "now" not in 4 or 5 years. Chaska, and > their private partners used it to make money -- well, that and some major > investment in optical fiber laying, no doubt subsidized by the taxpayers. > > So, could Minneapolis provide the same thing to its residents? Technically, > yes. What would cost? More than it does in Chaska, because Minneapolis would > have to pay for things Chaska did not. Will they? Probably not in the near > future. > > If there were a fair answer to Jim's question, I'd be in favor of it. > > Chris Johnson - Fulton > > REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
