Salem finds obstacles facing city-wide Wi-Fi: Concerns include terrain, existing broadband coverage, and whether Wi-Fi is already superannuated. The assistant city manager did her research and presents effective reasons for further consideration. We're at an awkward time for new Wi-Fi rollouts at smaller scales in towns that have reasonable amounts of broadband. It's perfectly reasonable to think about fixed WiMax in various forms for broadband coupled with Wi-Fi or mobile WiMax for mobility. But fixed WiMax is still too expensive for broad home deployment if you can get relatively inexpensive wired service, and mobile WiMax adapters and base stations are mostly a thing of the future (as is appropriate spectrum). A lovely line in this story is the manager's excellent concern that even equipping a 80-block downtown area with free Wi-Fi (estimated cost: $25K) would be challenged in the spring when foliage appears.
Seattle issues RFI for fiber, maybe Wi-Fi: My town of residence issued an request for information (RFI) today seeking ideas about what fiber to the premises (FTTP) might look like throughout Seattle. Wi-Fi is an also-ran: "...we encourage proponents to discuss whether they envision a wireless component such as Wi-Fi to serve as a complement..." As with other RFIs and RFPs, Seattle dangling access to poles, conduits, existing fiber, and land, and it might kick in some "investment," too. The city notes 6,200 acres of parkland which might be available for equipment siting and that "existing restrictions on some park lands could be revisited as part of this project." Now that's accommodating. The city wouldn't be a retail or wholesale provider or operator in this RFI's view. Net neutrality principles are enshrined. We're just 84 square miles with 573,000 residents. (Brief fiber rundown. FTTP = FTTH [Home]. FTTC [Curb] brings it to a street, about 500-1000 ft. from subscribers, with copper distribution to homes using ADSL2. FTTN [Node] brings it to a distribution point up to 5,000 ft. from subscribers, using VDSL over copper to homes.) [Link via Muniwireless.com]
MetroFi adds Ontario: The California town will feature ad-supported free access city-wide.