FloridaFuture
June 14th, 2007, 09:09 PM
Tampa Council To Hear Report On Citywide Wireless
By LINDSAY WILKES-EDRINGTON The Tampa Tribune
Published: Jun 14, 2007
TAMPA - Making all of Tampa a wireless Internet hotspot is something city officials say they'd like to see happen. But how to do it, and how much it will cost, is something they have yet to determine.
James Buckner, the city's director of technology and innovation, today will present to the city council his findings from a study of how some major cities have been able to bring wireless networks to their area.
Buckner primarily looked at San Francisco, which signed a deal with Google and Earthlink earlier this year to provide wireless access to all its residents.
With a wireless network blanketing a city, anyone who has a wireless card installed on a computer can connect to the Internet from any point in town. Most cities offer limited free access, and then require users to pay an hourly or monthly subscription fee for a faster connection with greater access.
San Francisco, like a number of other large cities that have worked with Earthlink, signed a contract that puts the Internet provider in charge of footing most of the bill. Buckner said the costs to provide the service range from $3 million to $18 million, depending on the coverage size. In St. Petersburg, which recently also signed on with Earthlink, the estimated cost to the provider is $6.8 million.
The only cost to the city is the time required of its staff to negotiate and sort out the logistical issues of the public-private partnership.
Even if the costs are low for Tampa, Buckner said, the city's budget already is stretched too thin to consider it for this year.
"I don't think it's on the top of our list of priorities," he said. "Even if the city didn't have to invest money, there is human capital involved with making the arrangements. With the budget situations being what they are, it's an awkward time to enter into a new project like this."
Buckner said the city's contractors and legal staff likely would have to invest time in working on an agreement with the Internet vendor, and that although the vendor would be in charge of installing the network, the city probably would have to oversee the work.
Councilman John Dingfelder, who requested the study, said the city has enough staff to handle negotiations. Even if nominal costs are involved, he said, that shouldn't be a deterrent.
"We are cutting everywhere we can on basic services, but it was my understanding you can get into these things without spending hardly any money at all, so why not throw the idea out on the street and see what happens?" Dingfelder said.
Buckner said he is trying to determine which Internet providers would be interested in establishing a wireless service in Tampa. He said Tampa has talked to Earthlink, but that he is unsure whether the company will be in a position to provide the service because they have just signed onto other big projects and have limited money to go around.
"It's hard to get an exact number out of them, but it's hard to know how much money they'll have," he said.
Earthlink has been one of the most popular providers for citywide networks. In addition to San Francisco and St. Petersburg, the company has contracts with Philadelphia and Atlanta. Earthlink spokesman Jerry Grasso wouldn't comment on discussions with Tampa, but said the city is of similar size to others Earthlink has worked with. Grasso said Earthlink determines whether a city will prove profitable by the number of households packed per square mile.
Wireless service from a company such as Earthlink comes at a cost to residents who want to use it. Grasso said Earthlink offers Internet to wireless users that start at $17.95 monthly.
Grasso said there is the possibility that there could be free limited access to the Internet, but what those limits are is usually decided upon by the city. In St. Petersburg, for example, certain government Web sites will be available without a subscription.
With technology rapidly changing, Dingfelder said, he thinks that if the city can move forward without much cost involved, then it should.
"Why should St. Petersburg be ahead of us in technology?" Dingfelder said. "If we move slowly, then by the time we get it installed, it will be obsolete."
Reporter Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington can be reached at (813) 259-7621 or lwilkes-edrington
@tampatrib.com.
http://www.tbo.com/news/scitech/MGB8F4QHW2F.html
By LINDSAY WILKES-EDRINGTON The Tampa Tribune
Published: Jun 14, 2007
TAMPA - Making all of Tampa a wireless Internet hotspot is something city officials say they'd like to see happen. But how to do it, and how much it will cost, is something they have yet to determine.
James Buckner, the city's director of technology and innovation, today will present to the city council his findings from a study of how some major cities have been able to bring wireless networks to their area.
Buckner primarily looked at San Francisco, which signed a deal with Google and Earthlink earlier this year to provide wireless access to all its residents.
With a wireless network blanketing a city, anyone who has a wireless card installed on a computer can connect to the Internet from any point in town. Most cities offer limited free access, and then require users to pay an hourly or monthly subscription fee for a faster connection with greater access.
San Francisco, like a number of other large cities that have worked with Earthlink, signed a contract that puts the Internet provider in charge of footing most of the bill. Buckner said the costs to provide the service range from $3 million to $18 million, depending on the coverage size. In St. Petersburg, which recently also signed on with Earthlink, the estimated cost to the provider is $6.8 million.
The only cost to the city is the time required of its staff to negotiate and sort out the logistical issues of the public-private partnership.
Even if the costs are low for Tampa, Buckner said, the city's budget already is stretched too thin to consider it for this year.
"I don't think it's on the top of our list of priorities," he said. "Even if the city didn't have to invest money, there is human capital involved with making the arrangements. With the budget situations being what they are, it's an awkward time to enter into a new project like this."
Buckner said the city's contractors and legal staff likely would have to invest time in working on an agreement with the Internet vendor, and that although the vendor would be in charge of installing the network, the city probably would have to oversee the work.
Councilman John Dingfelder, who requested the study, said the city has enough staff to handle negotiations. Even if nominal costs are involved, he said, that shouldn't be a deterrent.
"We are cutting everywhere we can on basic services, but it was my understanding you can get into these things without spending hardly any money at all, so why not throw the idea out on the street and see what happens?" Dingfelder said.
Buckner said he is trying to determine which Internet providers would be interested in establishing a wireless service in Tampa. He said Tampa has talked to Earthlink, but that he is unsure whether the company will be in a position to provide the service because they have just signed onto other big projects and have limited money to go around.
"It's hard to get an exact number out of them, but it's hard to know how much money they'll have," he said.
Earthlink has been one of the most popular providers for citywide networks. In addition to San Francisco and St. Petersburg, the company has contracts with Philadelphia and Atlanta. Earthlink spokesman Jerry Grasso wouldn't comment on discussions with Tampa, but said the city is of similar size to others Earthlink has worked with. Grasso said Earthlink determines whether a city will prove profitable by the number of households packed per square mile.
Wireless service from a company such as Earthlink comes at a cost to residents who want to use it. Grasso said Earthlink offers Internet to wireless users that start at $17.95 monthly.
Grasso said there is the possibility that there could be free limited access to the Internet, but what those limits are is usually decided upon by the city. In St. Petersburg, for example, certain government Web sites will be available without a subscription.
With technology rapidly changing, Dingfelder said, he thinks that if the city can move forward without much cost involved, then it should.
"Why should St. Petersburg be ahead of us in technology?" Dingfelder said. "If we move slowly, then by the time we get it installed, it will be obsolete."
Reporter Lindsay Wilkes-Edrington can be reached at (813) 259-7621 or lwilkes-edrington
@tampatrib.com.
http://www.tbo.com/news/scitech/MGB8F4QHW2F.html