Oram, Andy (2007). MuniWireless conference: city politicians need to
understand the lay of the LAN. O’Reilly Emerging Telephony, June 4,
2007.
http://www.oreillynet.com/etel/blog/2007/06/muniwireless_conference_city...
In this comment on the state of the US municipal wireless market the
author makes three interesting points. These points are significant
because they represent a consensus that is emerging from the results of
the past few years of municipal and community wireless experiences.
They are:
-As a technology wireless itself is not sufficient to provide
high-quality broadband. A three-tier model is more realistic. This
model involves (1) a fiber ring that brings extremely high bandwidth
within a few thousand feet of most locations and goes directly to major
buildings such as City Hall, hospitals, and schools. The second tier
involves (2) WiMAX, and (3) the final hundred feet can be provided by
Wi-Fi.
-In the author’s opinion: “Most people seem to accept now that the city
should pay for and maintain control over the hardware, while letting
ISPs compete to offer services over it.” For example, “in Amsterdam,
the city pays for 20% of the physical network and maintains control
over it, but contracts out the operation to the Netherlands’ main
telecom provider, after a competitive bidding process. Open access to
ISPs completes the service.”
-Many municipalities are concerned that the US will suffer economically
as a result of a lack of forward thinking national broadband policy,
something that has allowed countries like Japan to leap ahead in terms
of connectivity. According to the author, “people who need instant
connectivity the most will manage to get it. Individuals are investing
in expensive 3G phone service. Businesses are buying fiber.” But, “the
digital divide will widen. While other countries strive to bring
everybody into the information society, the U.S. will leave more and
more people behind.”