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Citywide wireless Internet access

Houstonian in Iraq

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Guest danax

Guest danax

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I want to know where the free schools and libraries are located. If the are free, somebody owes me a hell of a lot back in tax payments ;)

Ok, let's call them freely accessible to students.......you don't even need to be in the country legally to access the knowledge available.

But you might have a point; with the dropout rate so high amongst the lower income children, maybe we should demand a refund.

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Houston1stWordOnTheMoon

Houston1stWordOnTheMoon

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.

But you might have a point; with the dropout rate so high amongst the lower income children, maybe we should demand a refund.

:lol:

I think this is a parenting problem as well, but i see your point.

Having the internet opens people that are poor and or elderly up to new opportunities that would not be otherwise sought after or attained. Its one thing to have someone dictate something to you and a whole other to have the freedom and power to research it on do it on your own. Making internet accessble to the mass populous will have a much more beneficial affect on society as a whole instead of a massive negative effect. Its a very empowering feeling to be armed with ready access to news and knowlege that is not so readily acknowleged by many of us here for we can thankfully afford it with ease.

Side note....Rice University turns out some of the best individuals on this planet!

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musicman

musicman

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Actually, Rice U has a free wireless high speed internet network up and running where I live. They thought the people were poor and "underpriviledged". They found out that the people here have money....
....and i must say that next month i'll have been using it for 2 yrs! Go TFA

....

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lockmat

lockmat

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Yeah, I like the idea of having the infrastructure out there, just as I like having gun shops. Freedom is good. That doesn't mean that I want to buy every poor person a gun, though. Probably not the best analogy.

It's not free is it? They still have to pay for it. So they're not giving it to them. Just giving them a lower rate.

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musicman

musicman

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Houston learning lessons on WiFi

Solving the signal problem

Since networks are built outside, signals bounce between hundreds of access nodes, located on top of light poles, and base stations on building rooftops. The signal may be strong for a user sitting in a park with a laptop, but beams often can't penetrate building walls.

Joseph Rodriguez, who owns an import business in Corpus Christi and uses his laptop frequently to check online orders, said he gets a solid signal only in certain parts of his store.

"If I'm at the back of the store, I don't get as good reception. But I have a table set up at the front of the store," he said.

The same is true in Milpitas, Calif., where EarthLink completed a 13-square-mile network in December. Signals are strong outdoors but sometimes weak inside buildings, said Bill Marion, the city's information services director.

"It is very dependent on where you are and what's between you and the wireless device," Marion said.

A wireless modem or a device called a repeater, which enhances the indoor signal, usually will solve the problem at a cost of about $100.

About one-third of users need one of these to prevent spotty service, Berryman said, so EarthLink provides one free to subscribers who sign a one-year contract. The modem EarthLink provides now can be used only for one computer, but the device the company expects to distribute to Houston users will repeat the signal for several computers.

complete article

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Guest danax

Guest danax

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Wi-Fi access should be free since we're most likely paying taxes for it. If not, i will get a 'friend' who could make my access 'free' anyway.

Another government entitlement? We will be paying taxes for it if that happens. Or steal it, then we all pay for it. :angry2:

I still don't see why White is doing this. Does he see this as city infrastructure, like sewer and water mains? :blink:

The City should stick to basic government and planning.

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LarryDallas

LarryDallas

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I think Free WIFI should be available in every large (over 500,000 population) city at least within the loop of the city or say a 10 mile radius of the center of the town. This would probably not be as great as a private pay per subscription service but it would be very handy for tourists.

In fact, the states should put in Free WIFI in all rest stops along the interstates. I can't think of how handy internet access would be on a long trip where using your cell phone can not get reception to be used as a modem or your wireless WIFI card is useless. Truck drivers would also greatly benefit from real time information not restricted to the CB radio and broadcast radio/TV.

Most all rest stops already have emergency phones and all other utilities so setting up a WIFI system would not be a major project that requires billions of dollars.

Such a thing should be subsidized by the feds.

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foxmulder

foxmulder

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I think Free WIFI should be available in every large (over 500,000 population) city at least within the loop of the city or say a 10 mile radius of the center of the town. This would probably not be as great as a private pay per subscription service but it would be very handy for tourists.

In fact, the states should put in Free WIFI in all rest stops along the interstates. I can't think of how handy internet access would be on a long trip where using your cell phone can not get reception to be used as a modem or your wireless WIFI card is useless. Truck drivers would also greatly benefit from real time information not restricted to the CB radio and broadcast radio/TV.

Most all rest stops already have emergency phones and all other utilities so setting up a WIFI system would not be a major project that requires billions of dollars.

Such a thing should be subsidized by the feds.

Most texas rest stops have FREE wifi...Victoria, North of Conroe, Kenedy county, and i believe brooks county too.
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Guest Marty

Guest Marty

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I forgot I heard Micheal Garfield this weekend said that he had sources that stated that Earth link will probably renig on the contract and pay a fine. something about it's cheaper to go back on the contract instead of building the network. but remember this is a rumor.

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musicman

musicman

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Internet service provider EarthLink announced a plan today to cut 900 jobs, or about half its work force, and close four offices as part of a restructuring plan aimed at reducing operating costs.

The restructuring by the company, which has a contract to build a city-wide wireless network in Houston, will begin immediately and be completed by the end of the year, said Rolla P. Huff, the Atlanta-based company's president and chief executive. More cuts could be announced before the year's end, he said.

"While we see this as an important first step in unlocking the underlying value that we believe is in our company, we are only eight weeks into the process of repositioning EarthLink for the future," he said. "These changes get our cost structure in line, but there is much more to do."

There was no immediate word on how the restructuring would affect the Houston project, which has been stalled for months.

full article

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Guest Marty

Guest Marty

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Internet service provider EarthLink announced a plan today to cut 900 jobs, or about half its work force, and close four offices as part of a restructuring plan aimed at reducing operating costs.

The restructuring by the company, which has a contract to build a city-wide wireless network in Houston, will begin immediately and be completed by the end of the year, said Rolla P. Huff, the Atlanta-based company's president and chief executive. More cuts could be announced before the year's end, he said.

"While we see this as an important first step in unlocking the underlying value that we believe is in our company, we are only eight weeks into the process of repositioning EarthLink for the future," he said. "These changes get our cost structure in line, but there is much more to do."

There was no immediate word on how the restructuring would affect the Houston project, which has been stalled for months.

full article

Yeah, there was a discussion about this yesterday about this news story can we merge these two topics also.

Thanks ;)

http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/i...mp;#entry195064

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editor

editor

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Has anyone been hearing about this new technology that has the potential to Wifi faster and more reliable over longer distances.

It is called WiMax and wondering how it is going to impact these citywide Wifi plans.

It should make it easier, but that is-- if it works. It's still pretty unproven even though people in netspace have been saying for a couple of years now that it's the best thing since sliced ham.

FWIW, Chicago last week cancelled its planned rollout of city-wide free wifi. The problem was power. Each access point needs power to operate, and there isn't an easy way to get power to all of the brazillion airports the city (via AT&T) was going to deploy. The plan was to put them on light poles, but (news to me) it turns out that now all light poles have power through the day. When they turn "off" they're really more like unplugged from some central point. Who knew?

Hopefully we'll still be able to keep the free wifi that already exists in city buildings (city hall, libraries, art galleries, museums, etc...) and parks. The parks thing always seemed dumb to me because you can't see your laptop screen in full sun. But I have discovered that you CAN see an iPhone screen in full sun, and many times that's just as good.

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ssullivan

ssullivan

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Ho hum. I've never been that excited over city-wide wi-fi anyway. The few cities that I've tried it in I've generally found it to be only margainally usable. Those of us who want, and need, fast and reliable Internet, aren't going to rely on free service from the city. We'll just pay for it.

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