Nickname: neal

Review: This is in response to Other Technologies. WiMAX is overhyped. There is no guarantee that WiMAX will reach you on street level. WiMAX is only good for some sort of back-haul solution, but it is not the holy grail of wireless distribution/access. The most reliable infrastructure will be Wi-Fi nodes on each intersection, but you are right when you mention the OpEx. once installed. It is for this reason that small or muni projects will never be profitable, because the economies of scale cannot be reached in small to medium projects. One has to be a large player to survive and be profitable. I have posted an article on Muni Wifi (Yes. Tax Me, Please) on www.nealsperspective.com to dig into this matter.

Date reviewed: Mar 1, 2006 1:23 AM

Nickname: Buzzcut

Review: Although I am a free market extremist (also known as a libertarian), don't let that aspect of my comment distract you. The bottom line is that muni Wi-Fi has the potential to wipe out many, many businesses. I don't have any problem with a business being wiped out, if it is done so by another business working in the free market. I have a real problem with a governmental entity imposing its will on legitimate businesses and bankrupting them through subsidizing a competitor. In fact, its worse than that, because muni Wi-Fi is tax free, and Verizon pays not only income, sales, and property taxes, but special communications taxes, and other nonense like Al Gore's e-tax. I don't think the advocates of muni Wi-Fi are anything more than technology fetishists, who personally want pervasive Wi-Fi, and see municipalization as the quickest way to get it. The problem is that they haven't thought about the unintended consequences of their actions.

Date reviewed: Feb 23, 2006 8:34 PM

Nickname: Muni

Review: Interesting to read comments on free enterprise. Partnering with cities to build a Wi-Fi network appears to be a balance that will meet the needs of both objectives. Stimulating economic growth, support first responders and access to broadband services go hand in hand. It's a win-win for cities and businesses. Our short "greedy" business position leads to slow or no development in small- to medium-sized cities.

Date reviewed: Feb 23, 2006 4:43 PM

Nickname: Other Technologies

Review: Even more disturbing, Wi-Fi is the wrong technology to build these networks. Wi-FI is a LAN technology and will require thousands of access points every few hundred feet. Don't these city planners realize that there a other, better suited technologies (i.e. BWA, WiMAX) that can more efficently cover an area? WiMAX range is measured in miles and has better quality of service than WI-Fi. Just imagine trying to maintain those networks once they are up.

Date reviewed: Feb 21, 2006 6:48 PM

Nickname: Buzzcut

Review: I would expect a business magazine to be a little more skeptical of municipally provided services, whatever they may be. What's going to happen to all the Wi-Fi services like Boingo if municipalities start providing free Wi-Fi? What's going to happen to 3G services from Verizon and the other wireless providers? What's going to happen to DSL and cablemodem providers? What's going to happen to the wireless phone companies when people start using new wireless Skype phones on the municipal Wi-Fi networks? There are a lot of businesses that are going to be wiped out if muni Wi-Fi gets going. A lot of these businesses are paying a significant amount of their revenue as taxes, both federal, state, and even local. It's a no brainer that muni Wi-Fi be federally taxed to put it on the same playing field as the private offerings.

Date reviewed: Feb 20, 2006 2:40 PM

Nickname: NealsPerspective.ComLachman

Review: If congress and government decides that WiFi operators must pay taxes, we should not whine. LBDC International--www.lbdci.com--is planning city-wide Wi-Fi in 25 markets, but without city involvement (except rights of way and facilitation etc.). Munis should not be involved with Wi-Fi deployments. They should leave it up to companies like LBDC. We are well funded and we have the best intentions with our customers. While I have lots of great contacts with lots of great cities I agree with the incumbents (Telco/CATV) that muni projects are creating an unfair competitive environment, at times even hostile when the city bureaucrats want to compete head to head with people like me about "vision." Let city officals do what they can do best (run the city). Let me do what I do best (build important IT and communication infrastructures). And let the government do what it does best (run the country with income from taxes). I will post regarding muni projects on www.nealsperspective.com (blog).

Date reviewed: Feb 19, 2006 3:08 AM