WIRELESS 'HOT SPOTS' FOCUS OF TALKS IN NEW HARTFORD:

About 20 people gathered Wednesday to get information about the possibility of installing a wireless network in parts of the town of New Hartford.

Such a network could support wireless Internet "hot spots" and provide high-speed Internet access to residents currently unable to get it, Joe McCoy, president of wireless access provider WavHost, said.

"Being connected all the time is a trend that's going to be upon us," McCoy said.

New Hartford resident Anthony Pellegrino said he hopes wireless Internet access becomes available in the Washington Mills area, where he lives.

"It would be nice for me to use my laptop computer at home in different areas of town," said Pellegrino, who currently gets Internet access through Adelphia. "Hopefully, the hot spots would include my complex."

Town Councilman John C. Waszkiewicz III, who organized the meeting, said he wants to get residents' input on wireless access, which already is available in the village of Frankfort and is being planned for downtown Utica.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 04:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

HIGH-SPEED INTERNET SOUGHT FOR RURAL UPSTATE:

Lawmakers at the state and federal level are pushing for expanding high-speed Internet access to upstate rural areas, saying the technology could help jump-start local economies.

“The key to economic development in the Upstate region is having broadband (Internet) services,” said state Sen. George Winner, R-Elmira. “Having a lack of Internet capacity is certain to hold back any area.”

Gov. George Pataki this week signed into law a measure that would begin the process of laying the fiber-optic cables needed for high-speed Internet access. Lawmakers called the provision a first step, hoping it will help small businesses — particularly farmers — in an increasingly technology-driven marketplace.
“Let's try to nudge this issue,” said Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton, D-Ithaca, one of the bill's co-sponsors. “There are a lot of things that can't happen out in rural areas that are happening in more densely populated urban areas.”

The new law would require the state Department of Economic Development to study how to bring high-speed access to the countryside economically and as quickly as possible.

Nationally, New York ranks eighth in broadband connectivity when compared to the rest of the country, with 38 percent of people having high-speed access, according to the Federal Communications Commission. But the majority of those with broadband are concentrated in the New York City region, experts said.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 04:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Buffalo News reports on municipal WiFi in Western New York: "At a dollars-and-cents level, it's an amenity. It's not a direct causation of economic development."

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Senator Schumer is on the case:

In light of the rapid growth of wireless Internet access in major cities across the country, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer Wednesday announced a new plan to bring wireless high-speed Internet access to homes, businesses and communities across upstate New York.

New York ranks 31st among all 50 states in percentage of households with an Internet connection. Dozens of communities across upstate are looking to create Wi-Fi networks in public places, and even, covering the entire region. Schumer’s plan includes creating a federal resource for communities looking to create wireless networks and tax incentives for individuals and businesses that purchase broadband or Wi-Fi equipment.

“In an economy that is increasingly reliant on high-speed Internet, not having high-speed Internet access is like not having air to breathe,” Schumer said during a telephone news conference. “With broadband technology the lifeblood of the new economy, it is more important than ever to bring high-speed access to rural and underserved communities. Wireless networks will connect upstate New York communities large and small in to the 21st century economy and attract new types of business. Wireless and broadband high-speed Internet access will become the hallmark of the 21st century, which is why we must work to close the digital divide throughout the state and in upstate New York in particular.”
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According to an analysis done by ECC Associates, a Internet consulting firm located in the Southern Tier, roughly 12 percent of homes in New York could not have access to a broadband connection, meaning they could not get high-speed service (except for expensive satellite service) if they wanted. According to FCC data, there are 2,833,478 residences in New York connected to high-speed Internet lines.
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Right now, most wireless “hot spots” are limited to chain restaurants, coffee shops and hotels (McDonalds, Starbucks and Best Western provide Wi-Fi access). However, some local governments across upstate New York, as large as Buffalo and Rochester and as small as Tivoli and Oneonta, have contracted with private companies to create wider-scoped networks to cover public places and entire communities.
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The plan seeks to create a comprehensive federal resource for communities looking to start Wi-Fi networks by establishing a series of federal standards and best practices for creating wireless networks so communities who want to create these networks can navigate through any potential problems and can create a system that suits their needs. Schumer is also pushing the bi-partisan Broadband Tax Enhancement Act, led by Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-WV, which passed the Senate Finance Committee last week. The legislation would permit individuals and businesses to deduct from their taxable income costs associated with the installation and connection of broadband and wireless networks in rural or underserved areas. The third part of the plan seeks federal funding to expand broadband in rural and underserved communities. Schumer announced that he is going to offer an amendment to the Agriculture Appropriations bill that would increase by $50 million funding for the Rural Development Broadband Loan and Loan Guarantee Program.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WiFi's GROWTH IS LOOKING UP:

Laptop addicts must often rely on a network of private businesses and public libraries for wireless Internet access.

Now, municipalities are getting involved.

In Glens Falls, wireless users can look forward to coverage throughout the business district by summer.

And in Washington County, officials want to bring WiFi to the masses by leasing antenna towers to wireless phone or Internet companies.

After a pitch from a WiFi company that wanted to use the county's towers and buildings to transmit its signals to customers, the Washington County Board of Supervisors hired a consulting firm to look into the value and practicality of selling the space.

More infrastructure could fill existing dead zones on the east side of the county, particularly along Route 22 between Cambridge and Granville. Four of the county's five radio towers are located in that wireless black hole, and two are scheduled to be abandoned and could be sold.

Hudson Valley Wireless, an Albany-based WiFi company, offered county officials free wireless Internet service at any county owned facility, in exchange for exclusive use of all county owned towers, according to minutes of the Nov. 15 Public Safety Committee meeting.

The committee didn't take action then, but on April 25, the board agreed to pay Giant Solutions up to $1,000 to investigate its options so the county could negotiate deals with Hudson Valley Wireless and other companies, Hayes said.

In Saratoga County, the private sector and public libraries are installing WiFi, so economic development officials didn't feel a need to recruit providers, said Joe Dalton, president of the county Chamber of Commerce. Instead, the chamber keeps a list of access points on its Web site, he said. That list includes many businesses and libraries in Saratoga Springs and three other municipalities.

In Warren County, Glens Falls officials recently contracted with a private firm, Glens Falls Technology Group, to bring WiFi to the central business district. By June 1, that service could be available to downtown business owners and their tenants. It could later be expanded to any place visible from the top of the CNA building, including South Glens Falls, Hudson Falls or Queensbury.

Though the contract was just finalized, the group began putting the infrastructure in place in February, funded by a $60,000 grant from the Empire State Development Corp. and a $60,000 private investment orchestrated by the group.

The service, called Breo, will have faster upload speeds than traditional cable or DSL broadband, and will offer teleconferencing systems, remote security cameras or voice-over services, said Alan VanTassel, a partner in the firm.

It's a common practice for municipalities to rent space on towers to make money, according to Mark LaVigna, communications director for the state Association of Counties. He couldn't offer specifics on how widespread such deals are.
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Population is the main hurdle in attracting technology providers to towns like Putnam or Dresden in northern Washington County.

The towns have power and infrastructure challenges, and their population is too small or too fluctuating to draw a WiFi provider like a cable company, Galough said.

However, WiFi companies can thrive in lakeside communities with seasonal population changes, as Adirondack Internet has in Lake George, North Creek, Hague, Glenburnie and Chestertown. To date, owner Fred Englemann has about 1,200 customers who buy wireless access by the hour, day, week or month.

Companies like Adirondack Internet can afford to bring wireless to places with seasonal population shifts because short-term subscriptions don't require a lot of legwork, Englemann said. Wireless subscribers can sign on through the Internet using a credit card. Cable companies have greater front-end costs because they must run cable to each location and drive out to hook up new subscribers.

The government and business will have to keep working together.

"In areas where it is sparsely populated, you're probably going to have to seek government subsidies because it wouldn't pay for itself," Dalton said.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 07:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

BLAND COUNTY OFFERS CITIZENS FREE WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS:

Bland County is hot.

That's hot as in "hot spot." Bland is the first locality in southwest Virginia--and one of only three in the state--to offer wireless Internet access free to its citizens. The other two are the city of Fairfax and parts of Arlington County.

County Administrator Jonathan D. Sweet said installation of the broadband service is scheduled for completion Monday, and downtown Bland will go live on Thursday.

"This offering will be a valuable tool to increase traffic to the downtown area and ideally to our local businesses," David Dillow, chairman of the county's economic development authority, said in a news release.

In addition, he said, the free service should appeal to Appalachian Trail hikers, travelers passing through on Interstate 77 and professionals visiting the county on business.
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The cost of the initial phase was under $6,000, according to Chris Sutphin, the county's information technology professional. The external equipment being installed for the system will be rugged, weatherized modules, or antenna routers, on the county's communication tower in the center of town.
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The Board of Supervisors plans a second phase extending the service over much of the county, Sutphin said in a telephone interview Friday. He said the county already has had inquiries from a number of people who live outside of town.

Sweet said the free broadband will complement investments being made throughout the county, including a 22-acre commerce park, water and sewer infrastructure extensions and tourism developments.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here's a promising press release from Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy:

Suffolk County residents will one day be able to connect with the internet anytime, from anywhere, under a proposal introduced by Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy which would request privately-owned and operated providers to develop a wireless network capable of providing connectivity across the 900 square miles of Suffolk.

Levy unveiled his desire for a countywide, accessible wireless network in his State of the County address his past January and has appointed a 15-person committee to develop the business plan and timeline for developing such a network.

The committee will research the best practices, funding models and public policies of other municipal wireless networks and will develop a business plan by August 31. The business plan will be the basis for a Request for Proposals (RFP) to be issued by December 2006.
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According to Levy, a countywide, wireless broadband network would provide an important economic development tool to attract and retain businesses in Suffolk, as well as improve services to residents and enhance public safety while reducing the cost of government. A seamless wireless infrastructure would attract and retain young professionals to live and work in the county, and provide an aid to tourism and hospitality.

"The county does not plan to compete with private business to sell wireless broadband," the County Executive stressed. "We are committed to selecting a cost-effective solution from a private vendor that will serve the county for an extended period of time, and will use the business plan developed by the experts on the Wireless Committee to establish a system that will benefit, and not burden, the taxpayers."

Wireless technology will provide many benefits to many types of users, Levy noted, including:

Public Employees. Many public employees are required to spend much of their time out in the field; use of wireless technology will reduce travel time and costs, allow faster filing of forms and paperwork and increase responsiveness to the public.

Emergency Response Teams. While many public safety departments have started to deploy wireless technology, a seamless and continuous connection will ensure that medical data and information can be transmitted when needed.

Businesses. Many businesses, too, have workers in the field, or telecommuting from home, and can increase efficiency and lower costs through the use of an assured continuous wireless network. And while most residential areas now have access to DSL or high-speed cable internet access, there are still significant service gaps in business districts.

Visitors. Suffolk County relies heavily on both businesses travelers and vacationers every year. A countywide wireless network will make Suffolk more attractive to conventions and other events, to businesses seeking to locate here and to the many visitors in search of a restaurant or night spot.

Residents. People today also want to be mobile, and a wireless county will allow residents to stay on top of events and get work or homework done wherever they are.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 09:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WIMAX TO MUSKEGON:

In one of the most significant WiMax deployments to date, regional service provider Arialink Broadband says it will build out a broadband wireless network for all of Muskegon County, Mich., using 802.16e equipment from Samsung Corp. .

The Muskegon County network is a public/private partnership funded by a $2.2 million federal grant from the Dept. of Housing and Urban Development along with a $4.5 million loan from the state of Michigan's Economic Development Corporation. Arialink will also invest $6 million of its own funds to build the network, says CEO Jason Schreiber. The company has committed to providing high-speed Internet access at speeds of 3 Mbit/s at a cost of $18.99 a month. Faster, higher-priced versions of the service will be available to residents and businesses in the area, providing mobile broadband at bandwidths of 10 Mbit/s and up.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

NEW HARTFORD TOWN BOARD HIRES GRANT WRITER:

A Buffalo-area woman has been hired to research and apply for grants to be used for New Hartford town departments.

The Town Board Wednesday agreed to pay grant writer Connie Miner $75 per hour for her work, town Councilman David Reynolds, R-3, said. Miner will work on a "per grant basis," he said.

"I think we've missed some opportunities to take advantage of grants for our recreation and parks department, almost every department," Reynolds said. "Having her on board will give us better insight into grants that might be out there and what we might be eligible for."
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The board also discussed the possibility of offering wireless Internet access, much like access planned for the city of Utica and access already available in the village of Frankfort.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 07:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Remember the term because in a few years you rural towns out there should be looking for ways to get it to your community. If predictions pan out, it will be a comparatively dirt-cheap means of bringing a transformational technology- broadband internet accesss- to rural communities.

We rural towns often can't provide the water/sewer/roads/electricity infrastructure that large businesses need and there's not much we can do about that. We can, however, encourage solo entrepreneurs, telecommuters, and small businesses to locate here by competing on the quality-of-life issues, and- I know a lot of you older folks won't believe me when I say this- a significant chunk of younger families and businesses, given the choice, will opt for a locality that has broadband internet service over one that does not.

In the Village of Westfield we've been fortunate to have DSL and/or cable modem since early 2001, and I was one of the first folks to sign up. Had called Adelphia every month before that for updates on the status of the roll-out. I could not live here without broadband. And I mean that literally. There are others like me, and our numbers are growing.

Municipal wireless is not a panacea for our economic development woes, but, increasingly, the presence of broadband service in your community will become a factor in whether people want to live there, just like the quality of your schools and the availability of nice housing, etc. It's not a matter of getting ahead of, just staying with. Think on it.

Posted by Joel Seachrist at 05:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)