Do you know what Wi-Fi is working in and around New Orleans? Post comments below if you do. Folks are asking about what's available for reporters and regular citizens. Links to stories that list this information are welcome as well.
Update: See comments below for several networks and locations. And McDonald's Wi-Fi-equipped restaurant in the area are apparently also offering free Wi-Fi. Other companies are helping, too, including iPass.
Update Sept. 15: Pronto Networks is working with SkyTel (an MCI subsidiary) and Tropos Networks to add free Wi-Fi in New Orleans, Biloxi, Baton Rouge, and associated airports.
Looks like TMobile is helping out...
http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/sep/1178550.htm
T-Mobile Hurricane Katrina Relief Update
BY JOHANNE TORRES
TMCnet VoIP Minute Watch Columnist
T-Mobile USA today announced that it has restored service coverage in areas destroyed by hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast....[follow link for full article]
This information does not pertain to New Orleans directly, but rather to areas of Dallas where evacuees from areas hit by Hurricane Katrina are being accommodated. Airstream Data, a WISP serving the Dallas metro area, and a Proxim customer, proactively set up Wi-Fi hot zones covering the Dallas Convention Center (housing up to 20,000 evacuees) and Reunion Arena, using wireless equipment donated by Proxim as well as computers donated by Microtech and ETCI. The primary purpose of the network was to enable evacuees to obtain information and locate and contact relatives, but it quickly became clear that employees of relief agencies such as Red Cross and the housing authority as well as health care providers were just as much in need of this communication capability.
McDonald's is offering free Wi-Fi in all effected areas.
ICOA's Baton Rouge Airport (BTR) Wi-Fi network is functioning and available free during the crisis and aftermath. ICOA will continue to make the network freely available until the situation has returned to some normlacy for the surrounding area. Coverage is airport-wide.
For more information, please contact ICOA at: 401-352-2368
Our Baton Rouge hotzone and most of our hotspots at all sonics restaurants in louisiana are up and running. We can ping our firewalls in new orleans but are still working to get thte wifi cells online. That should happen next week. The New Orleans hotzone is located in the warehouse district.
We have completely opened up our access. Use the account VERGE And password is verge. Hope that helps everyone.
Sincerely,
Carlo MacDonald
PResident/CEO
Verge Wireless Networks
a wholly owned company of US Wireless Online
I wanted to let you know that in an effort to assist iPass customers attempting to connect in the region affected by Hurricane Katrina, iPass is posting data on access points, which have recently been determined to be working in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi. A list can be found at: www.ipass.com/misc/katrina.html
iPass is also looking to get more information regarding other hotspots available (regardless of whether they belong to the iPass network), so they can inform their customers. So please keep us posted with any additional hotspot information in this area. Thanks.
Summary of the Information Systems, Inc. Project to Provide Communications to a Hurricane Devastated Region
Information Systems, Inc. (ISI), an information technology service provider specializing in data communications and security systems is providing emergency high-speed data and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) wireless services, at no charge, to Hurricane Katrina�s storm ravaged areas. These communications services are providing Local government officials and emergency workers with voice communications and recovery of computer data being used by government services such as the 7th precinct of the New Orleans Police Department and other areas as described below.
When Hurricane Katrina hit, ISI knew that communications would be necessary for emergency and rescue crews to work. ISI was determined to assist and developed an emergency WiFi plan within 24-hours of the Hurricane and purchased equipment at substantial discount from MCI, T3 Wireless and Allot Communications. ISI partnered with MCI to provide access to its functional communications facility in Baton Rouge and had an ISI team of six employees deployed in the area within 72 hours.
ISI was granted access to the ravaged area with help from Rescue International.
Three satellite uplinks and mobile access points for temporary communications have been deployed. They are in Rescue International�s command post in Slidell, LA (primarily to assist the Tammany, LA Sheriff�s Department), Slidell�s First Baptist Church Tent-City (a Red Cross post) and the New Orleans Police Department�s 7th precinct. The ISI team has tapped into functional MCI facilities in Baton Rouge and has installed permanent WiFi facilities from that point to locations in Geismar, LA and Gramercy, LA.
ISI expected to have the WiFi system extended by today, Thursday, Sept 22, to Garyville, LA. However, safety concerns with the new storm may prevent them from completing this as expected. Next, WiFi equipment will be installed in the Galleria Mall (located in the North West side of New Orleans), the Folgers Coffee Plant (located in the East side of New Orleans), the 7th precinct in New Orleans and then to Slidell, LA. ISI then plans to continue marching East with their service, all the way to Mississippi.
ISI to date has expended $700,000 to seed the project which includes: purchase of eight towers, three mobile towers with portable arrays, one H-1 Hummer for a command vehicle and three 4 x 4 trucks. ISI expects this investment to triple by the end of the year.
"Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds."
Lazaro A. Sanchez
Director of Telecommunication Services
ISI
20. N. Orange suite #1400
Orlando, Florida 32801
561-951-8507 Cell
561-277-6200 DID
407-517-7840 DID
561-277-6176 Fax-mail