ADVENTURES IN WIRELESS IDIOCY, PT. 3: WIRELESS GENIUS?

The city of Madison wants to install a wireless network that would cover the airport, the convention centers and a 1.5-mile radius around the Capitol:

Many of the wireless hubs could be outfitted for light poles, meaning there will be no large towers incorporated in the plan, according to Twigg. The RFP requests interested vendors to lay out their construction and outfitting plans for the hubs. Vendors would cover the construction of the network hubs.

The winning vendor for the initiative will pay the city, county and state for the right to run the wireless-fidelity (wi-fi), Twig added. No taxpayer dollars will be required in the project.

�The county, city and state working together provides for a seamless, wireless system that will provide great service at no cost to our taxpayers,� Falk said in a release. �Wi-fi will allow people to move about our community for business, study or pleasure and access the Internet.�

Free access to a handful of local websites would be available, and full Internet service will be available for a selected fee. Users could pay for a daily, monthly or long-term fee to access the service.

Meanwhile, near-campus locations not covered by university networks (i.e., the one coffee shop left on State St. that doesn't have its own wireless coverage) would now be covered, and the university could license access for students, rather than paying to expand its own coverage. I can't tell yet if this a great example of the public good being served, or a hackological disaster waiting to happen.

Posted by Aaron S. Veenstra ::: 2004:12:13:14:17