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AT&T Scraps Springfield Wi-Fi
The muni-Fi implosion continues...
AT&T has decided to scrap plans to build a citywide Wi-Fi network in Springfield, Illinois. The company originally "saw this as a growth opportunity" last year when the deal (a first for AT&T) was announced, but got cold feet just in the past few weeks. Yesterday, Chicago decided to back out of a deal of their own, with Earthlink and AT&T likely suitors. These decisions come after months of bad press for citywide Wi-Fi.
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Paladin
Sage of the light
join:2001-08-17
Chester, IL

Paladin

Member

Muni Wi-fi

Personally, I'm not so sure that muni wi-fi will work. I'm just not impressed that government can run this so well. Now wide range wimax networks can be run by a municipality... we will see that gain some traction. However, in the case of Springfield and Chicago, they should try to investigate a muni fiber optic network to compete with AT&T (or make sure AT&T runs fiber everywhere by some sort of contract or subsidy.)

batterup
I Can Not Tell A Lie.
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Netcong, NJ

batterup

Premium Member

Re: Muni Wi-fi

said by Paladin:

(or make sure AT&T runs fiber everywhere by some sort of contract or subsidy.)
at&t doesn't do fiber. I'm from the government and I'm here to help you.

KrK
Heavy Artillery For The Little Guy
Premium Member
join:2000-01-17
Tulsa, OK

KrK

Premium Member

Smokescreen

Why would AT&T want to build a network that competes with their Telco offerings like T1, DSL, etc.

My guess is that offers to build Muni-Fi is just another way to keep competition at bay.
garmst
join:2000-09-17
New York, NY

garmst

Member

Muni WiFi was never technically feasible

The lover affair with MuniWiFi was always fantasy. "Littering" a large area with 300ft-ish microcells makes no economic sense given the aquisition cost of the equipment, power costs and maintenance. Then on top of it you have to almost give it away to please a bunch of liberals in city GOV who won't pay for it themselves.

WiMAX was always the practical choice because of the larger signal footprint which translates into lower equipment and operation costs.

Finally...reality shows up.

DaveDude
No Fear
join:1999-09-01
New Jersey

1 edit

DaveDude

Member

Re: Muni WiFi was never technically feasible

I think local governments should stay out of the telecom business. I can understand providing Wifi in schools, parks, government building etc. But citywide is a bit over the top. I do like the idea of community fiber, but i think it would be better if it were leased to a private corporation.

viperm
Carpe Diem
Premium Member
join:2002-07-09
Winchester, CA

viperm

Premium Member

Re: Muni WiFi was never technically feasible

Wimax is NOT the end all be all and it never will be. Why people thnk its going to outperform everything else wireless is a far cray from reality!


Michieru_
@bellsouth.net

Michieru_

Anon

Re: Muni WiFi was never technically feasible

Of course not, but it's a step in the right direction, where as these ideas simply did not.

DaneJasper
Sonic.Net
Premium Member
join:2001-08-20
Santa Rosa, CA

DaneJasper to DaveDude

Premium Member

to DaveDude
said by DaveDude:

I think local governments should stay out of the telecom business. I can understand providing Wifi in schools, parks, government building etc. But citywide is a bit over the top. I do like the idea of community fiber, but i think it would be better if it were leased to a private corporation.
Muni WiFi doesn't mean that the city is going to pay for it, it just means it's "citywide". In this case, AT&T was going to build and pay for it, but has decided not to.

-Dane

firephoto
Truth and reality matters
Premium Member
join:2003-03-18
Brewster, WA

firephoto

Premium Member

Re: Muni WiFi was never technically feasible

said by DaneJasper:

Muni WiFi doesn't mean that the city is going to pay for it, it just means it's "citywide". In this case, AT&T was going to build and pay for it, but has decided not to.
This is the problem with the whole "muni-wifi" is failing crap lately. Some private company fails or doesn't continue on with their wifi for all pipe dream promises for a whole city and the city and municipal industry gets some bad press for a failure supposedly.

Guess what, AT&T got what they wanted, they kept out the competition and kept the city from doing something themselves and they keep servicing their broadband customers as always in that area.

korym
Go Wisp's

join:1999-12-23
Richmond, VA

korym to DaneJasper

to DaneJasper
I say let the people, i.e. the citizens, the matters in to their own hands. If it's a grassroots, community-supported, volunteer-based initiative, chances are it'll make it.

Just my opinion.

Regards,
Kory

DaneJasper
Sonic.Net
Premium Member
join:2001-08-20
Santa Rosa, CA

DaneJasper

Premium Member

Re: Muni WiFi was never technically feasible

said by korym:

I say let the people, i.e. the citizens, the matters in to their own hands. If it's a grassroots, community-supported, volunteer-based initiative, chances are it'll make it.

Just my opinion.

Regards,
Kory
This is the direction we're going. More on this later today.

-Dane

korym
Go Wisp's

join:1999-12-23
Richmond, VA

korym

Re: Muni WiFi was never technically feasible

Ah ha!!!

»gigaom.com/2007/08/31/so ··· sf-wifi/

DaneJasper
Sonic.Net
Premium Member
join:2001-08-20
Santa Rosa, CA

DaneJasper

Premium Member

Re: Muni WiFi was never technically feasible

Bingo.

See also »www.sonic.net/sfwifi/

-Dane

batterup
I Can Not Tell A Lie.
Premium Member
join:2003-02-06
Netcong, NJ

batterup

Premium Member

I'm from the government and I'm here to help you.

Democratic Congress puts municipal Wi-Fi on the agenda. It all about the *tubes, massive sticky tubes*.
»www.muniwireless.com/art ··· iew/5554

BWHAAAAAAHHHHHAAAAAAHHHHHHHAAAHHHH EYE-ROLL.