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Comments on news posted 2008-04-20 12:32:48: MetroFi is a municipal wireless network provider that has failed to meet many of its commitments to the cities that it has worked with. ..


pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102

Premium Member

Dumb Government

Another day, another story about yet another failed municipal wireless venture that will require yet another taxpayer bailout. It'd be nice to see states step in and ban local governments from getting into these sorts of agreements in the first place.
Done_Posting
Shoot to kill
Premium Member
join:2003-08-22
Toledo, OH

Done_Posting

Premium Member

MetroFi is vaporware in Toledo

I'm glad MetroFi is showing its true colors. The corrupt officials that run the city I live in chose to go with these MetroFi clowns instead of the ISP I work for (a local telco that actually gives back to the community) for deployment of city-wide WiFi. I believe it's been about a year since that decision was made, and to date, Toledo has absolutely NOTHING to show for it. To the best of my knowledge, there are zero active MetroFi nodes in this city.

Thanks for nothing MetroFi (and of course, the crooked city government too).

- Tate

halfband
Premium Member
join:2002-06-01
Huntsville, AL

halfband to pnh102

Premium Member

to pnh102

Re: Dumb Government

Ad supported wifi was one of those heavily hyped ideas that sounds really good on paper. Who wouldn't like free build-outs and free internet access in a city. The reality is if the model makes sense at all, it requires a very smart and efficient company to execute it. The government entities that made the decision on who to go with didn't look for efficient companies, they looked for the ones that made the most promises.

alchav
join:2002-05-17
Saint George, UT

alchav

Member

Dumb People.....Wireless Vaporware!

People seem to think Wireless is the Second Coming, especially if it's free. Wireless has it's uses, but for High Speed Broadband coverage in a city nothing comes close to Fiber. So people have to wake up and understand and know the limitations of Wireless.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

pnh102 to halfband

Premium Member

to halfband

Re: Dumb Government

The concept itself is sound... I just don't see why government should be involved in any way at all in terms of building and running the network. If a company wants to risk its own assets to run such a network, then I say have at it. But the government should not and must not be expected to bail out a failed project, especially when it has a proven track record of failure.

Come to think of it, I wonder what would happen if Bear Stearns decided to get into the municipal wifi racket.
hottboiinnc4
ME
join:2003-10-15
Cleveland, OH

hottboiinnc4 to Done_Posting

Member

to Done_Posting

Re: MetroFi is vaporware in Toledo

Very true Tate. MetroFi has nothing in the City. I wanted several thousands from the City but they refused to give it up. Instead it seems the money was directed to the Docks area that Carty still has to show anything good out of the money. Just more money going down the hole.

If Carty wouldnt have been ass and fired that one City Employee that had the network plans already drafted and ready to go for the build out; the network should have been already 50% if not more complete.

But I too would have liked to see Buckeye Cablevision build out the network. Especially after how much they do around here in terms of giving back.

FFH5
Premium Member
join:2002-03-03
Tavistock NJ

1 edit

FFH5 to pnh102

Premium Member

to pnh102

Re: Dumb Government

said by pnh102:

Another day, another story about yet another failed municipal wireless venture that will require yet another taxpayer bailout. It'd be nice to see states step in and ban local governments from getting into these sorts of agreements in the first place.
Politicians are incredibly deceptive. They know that Metrofi can't go forward as is, but they make the demand so that their idiot voters think they are actually doing something. Populism at its finest.
»MetroFi Wireless Network Disappoints Portland [9] comments
Portland’s current stance is that MetroFi should stick with its initial agreement and complete the network but there’s no firm answer yet as to how the city will proceed.
And how can they expect a company to stick to an agreement that would bankrupt the company and end up with NO SERVICE at all. Did Metrofi screw up with their muni bids - no question about it. But making unreasonable, unenforceable demands does nothing for the city and its taxpayers.

pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium Member
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD

1 recommendation

pnh102

Premium Member

said by FFH5:

Politicians are incredibly deceptive.
I think you're being way too kind. People in this country are conditioned to expect government to do just about everything. Look at anyone running for public office. All they do is make promises about what they are going to give to people. Elections haven't been about electing people to get the government to do things that need to be done, but rather, deciding who can be the best at playing Santa Claus all year long.

If someone tries running on a platform of cutting most government spending to the bare, absolute minimum, he or she would get my vote, but that person would be creamed in any election against anyone else.

YugoSks
@astound.net

YugoSks to alchav

Anon

to alchav

Foster City

I use the Metrofi service in Foster City, California. The nodes I've connected to give around 2000/300 with 35 to 80ms latency. I'm able to start my server at home with WOL. I can also use FTP and SSH on the standard ports which is cool for a free service. With Firefox and Ad Block Plus the ads are minimal and non intrusive.