-----Original Message----- Monday, January 22, 2007 Riverside, California: Rides Wi-Fi Wave to Future Growth Multi-Layer Wireless Access Network Extends border-to-border over City's 86 square miles
Riverside, Calif. (January 22, 2007) -- Riverside, California wants to be known as a city in the digital age and the leader in technology deployment. Call it a municipal status symbol, but when Phase I of a three-phase rollout becomes available in early February 2007, the City of Riverside will blanket its entire 86 square miles with free wireless Internet network, giving the City an entirely new identity as one of the most wired - or unwired - municipalities in the state of California. The robust network, built by AT&T, is also the largest planned to date for public use by residents (2.4 GHz) and businesses as well as for City municipal use and public-safety communications (4.9 GHz). Riverside officials hope that making high-speed Internet as accessible as water or electricity across its borders will attract more technology and biotech companies - and the young, upwardly mobile employees they bring. "We are willing to take the necessary steps so that companies, investors and workers identify us as a progressive municipality that fully supports the growth and success of firms that do business here," said Steve Reneker, Chief Information Officer, City of Riverside. Access points will be placed at the rate of 30-35 per square mile with each having a range of approximately 1,000 feet depending on topography. The City will transform all of its 86 square miles into WI-FI hot spots by installing more than 1,000 cell points on street lights, traffic signals, and City facilities (so areas further than 1,000 feet from any of these may have limited to no access). Speeds will vary based on the location of access (outside versus inside and proximity to an access point). Average speeds are expected to be 512Kbps, which is 10 times faster that a 56Kbps dial up connection many of our households still use. Currently, the City runs a free wireless network, but it is limited to 35 blocks in the downtown district. Riverside's WI-FI project is designed to benefit local merchants looking to attract residents who eat or shop anywhere in the City and still want access to e-mail, work projects or the Internet. Additionally, it will also enable companies and residents looking for more cost-effective Internet service providers to consider this free wireless network. A range of ad-free, paid subscription options, including day passes and monthly subscriptions will also be available with speeds of up to 1 Megabit per second (Mbps). Final details on the service packages and pricing will be announced at the launch of the service. According to the report, "California Cybercities 2006", published by the American Electronics Association, the Riverside-San Bernardino County area was recognized as the second fastest growing high-technology center in California. It also ranked seventh in highest concentration of high-tech jobs in the state, with nearly 21,400 high-tech jobs in the Region. "As more cities strive to be cutting edge and use the Internet as an economic development tool, few have been unable to execute," added Reneker. "Making strategic investments in programs that create a more business- and tech-friendly environment definitely demonstrate the City's commitment to nurturing and growing the technology sector." Reneker also noted that technology will play an important role in the City's future prosperity and renaissance, particularly as it relates to the Wi-Fi popularity as a way to "experience the momentum" of the downtown Riverside area. "Riverside is leading the effort in the Inland Empire to provide its residents and businesses with full access," said Reneker. "This network will definitely make our City more attractive for high-tech businesses." The mesh network of Internet access points covering the City of Riverside border-to-border is part of the ongoing effort to promote economic growth and expand business. The WI-FI network is just one of many in a series of initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining high-technology businesses. The City's total investment for the build out of the Wi-Fi network will exceed $8.8 million. "If cities want to be vibrant and attractive to workers, companies and their visitors," Reneker said, "they should concentrate on making life better for families that live and work there and provide services that residents expect from their municipalities." The City of Riverside plans to potentially use its new WI-FI network for a variety of uses including public safety mobile data and video; managing traffic and parking systems; security monitoring; remote access to lighting controls; automated tracking of city vehicles; as well as code enforcement and building inspections. The City of Riverside, Calif. was recently named one of America's Most Digital Cities for 2006. The Center for Digital Government ranked the City of Riverside #10 in populations of 250,000 or greater. The study examines how city governments utilize digital technologies to better serve their citizens and streamline operations. For more information on the City of Riversideâs multi-layered wireless access network, contact Greg Lee, Business Development Coordinator, City of Riverside, at 951-826-5145. About Riverside Recognized as one of America's top five "Hottest Large Cities" (1), Riverside is a diverse, urban center situated in the heart of Southern California. With a population of nearly 300,000, it is the county seat of the 7,000-square-mile Riverside County. Riverside is the largest city in the Inland Empire, one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States, and the 12th largest city in the state. Its many resources include the world famous Mission Inn Hotel, a city-wide wireless Internet network initiative and four institutions of higher learning, with a student population of more than 40,000. The largest, the University of California-Riverside, is the fastest growing campus in the UC system and its well-endowed research program has significant potential to benefit Riverside's high-tech economy in the years ahead. In 2005, Riverside had a job base of over 160,000 people and was recently ranked sixth for job growth (2). 1 Inc. Magazine, May 2006 2 Forbes 2006 Submitted by Rick Christopher, Amies Communications Posted at http://www.inlandempire.us/news/2007/01/riverside-california-rides-wi-fi-wave.html ------------------------------------ Frank Keeney Blog: http://www.unwiredadventures.com Work: http://www.wlanparts.com Photos: http://snurl.com/unwirephotos --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SOCALWUG" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SOCALWUG SOCALWUG website: http://www.socalwug.org -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
