Every day brings several press releases about new free and fee hotspots, zones, and towns: There are plans, there are deployments, there are practically circuses with Wi-Fi elephants in most cities around the U.S. Every day brings a small barrage of press releases and newspaper articles. In the spirit of completeness and without listing every single news story as a separate item, I'll try to run Who's Hot Today? each day with an updated summary as the day goes on. We'll see how it pans out.
Tucson, Arizona: A free Wi-Fi zone built by the Tucson Wi-Fi Alliance and sponsored by an array of businesses with support from the local university and parts of city government kicks off May 23.
Cupertino, California: MetroFi charges $19.95 per month for 1 Mbps down, 256 Kbps up (hey, finally some demonstrable Wi-Fi speeds around the level I believe are plausible!) with no ISP service behind it. The idea is to provide naked final mile Wi-Fi. They also wholesale to ISPs who can bundle. They reach 75 percent of Cupertino homes. The service launched in Santa Clara.
This is great as I'm going to be in Tucson at
the end of May. Is there a URL or any place
I can get details on where? Tucson is a
big city.
[Editor's note: I've queried the folks behind this. Answer: not yet. --gf]
Glen
Appreciate your comments and articles.
Would like to add a few things here ref the piece above. We are actively involved with both Wireline and Wireless Broadband services in our 2 COunty Market. HTC is a new Model Service Provider (ILEC/CLEC/CATV and Cingular Partner).
I have been preaching both internally and in comments around the industry that we need to separate out "Access from Services" or what you call "Naked final mile WiFi". Bottom line: DSL/Cable Modem and WiFi are not Internet. They are Access technologies.
This is especially true and can be meaningful in addressing Muni deployments.
If we can get industry (and our customers)to understand that the Technology of Access is distinct and different from the various Services, and needs to be packaged and priced separately we will be able to both address the issue better and grow the market quicker. As a Service Provider we offer both, because our customers (residential and commercial)want Peer to Peer, VPN to corporate, and to be able to play games with each other over our local networks (without the internet) over whichever technology is most cost effective.
Keep up good work.
Also, let's come up with some terms to separate the Cell Narrowband systems (Called Wireless today) from the WLAN WiFi/WiMAX Broadband Access technologies. This becomes even more important as we begin to integrate the services. ALso, where does Narrowband Start (128Kbps ?? and end 768Kbps ?? and Stop and Broadband pick up 1Mbps??
and end 10Mbps?? Is Wideband next ?? 100Mbps to 800Mbps.
SOmeone has got to do this.
Info from the AZ Daily Star:
http://www.dailystar.com/dailystar/metro/74562.php
Jácome Plaza, one initial Wi-Fi zone, just south of the Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave
El Presidio Park, on West Alameda Street near North Church Avenue