Post in Minneapolis Wi-Fi: Time to Pull the Contract?

Mar 27 21:37 UTC

My girlfriend just tipped me off to a story this week on MPR:

Minneapolis Wi-Fi network to be completed by month's end
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/03/25/wifi/

Included is the article:
> You've got a company here in Minnetonka that's pulled off some things that
> some gigantic companies have failed at doing. This has become the poster
child
> for municipal Wi-Fi networks," said Caldwell.
> Recent articles in the New York Times and from CNET online hold up
Minneapolis
> as a success story compared to failed or failing networks.

I went to the New York Times article and found this mention:
> But projects covering larger cities have proved far more difficult to sustain
> financially, and much of the attention has turned now to Minneapolis, which
is
> rolling out a network based on a new business model that many market analysts
> believe will avoid the financial risks that EarthLink encountered in
> Philadelphia and elsewhere.
> In Minneapolis, the Internet service provider agreed to build the network as
> long as the city committed to becoming an anchor tenant by subscribing for a
> minimum number of city workers, like building inspectors, meter readers,
> police officers and firefighters.
> This type of plan is more viable, according to market analysts and city
> officials, because the companies paying to mount the routers and run the
> service are guaranteed a base number of subscribers to cover the cost of
their
> investment.

CNET had this to say:
> Minneapolis also built its citywide network with the express intent of using
> it for public safety and to connect city agencies together. USI Wireless,
> which is deploying the Wi-Fi gear and providing the service, had only a small
> portion of the network built in early August when a major bridge collapse put
> the emergency Wi-Fi network to the test.
> Within hours, the network was opened up to all users, allowing people with
> dual mode Wi-Fi phones to communicate without clogging the cellular network.
> In the days and weeks that followed, the Wi-Fi network has also been
> instrumental in rescue and recovery efforts around the disaster site.

So the business model is lauded by NYT and CNET said the technology helped
in the 35W collapse.

Are these reports relying on USI press releases or has a reporter actually
driven around and used the actual technology?

Im writing from the second floor of my So Mpls bungalow and I see plenty of
neighbor SSIDs. The city website says Standish is live on city WiFi.
Neither of my two laptops (802.11g/n) can see the USI signal. Is it
broadcasting an SSID?

The city web site says this:
> The City of Minneapolis signed a 10-year contract with US Internet of
> Minnetonka to provide Minneapolis with cutting-edge broadband technology.

Wow. Love to hear from the experts now.

Finally, a response to John Kellys comment,
> I can't imagine someone with as much IT experience would **ever** try to
> compare a wired connection to a wireless connection.  Maybe if you wrapped
> your ethernet cable maypole style around an electrical conduit.  But there's
a
> really good reason you plug mission critical systems into the network and
> avoid wireless.  It's not as reliable a technology.

Mr. Kelly- theres wireless internet delivery in the form of cellular and
satellite which is long range and slow. Then theres wired delivery (e.g.
Qwest or Comcast) that is wirelessly delivered via WiFi for the last 50 or
100. Are you confusing these very different technologies?
My assumption, and it may be incorrect, is USI is delivering internet to the
pole via wires and trying to deliver it to homes via overextended WiFi.
So when Im quoting my WiFi speed on Comcast vs WiFi from USI then its an
apples to apples comparison.
Let me add that I retested my Comcast/802.11n connection today and the
download speed was consistently in the 20K-25K range. Lee posted an earlier
message stating that his USI connection runs at 1.5Kbps.

Can someone here explain how USI will ever overcome their dearth of access
points and why the city continues to mail them checks? This is not a
sarcastic, facetious, or rhetorical question. Inquiring technology minds and
citizens of Minneapolis want to know.

Steve Basile
Standish