Minneapolis Wi-Fi: Time to Pull the Contract?
From:
Steve Basile
Date:
Mar 24 04:41 UTC
Short link
Lee,
I'm an IT pro with 14 years internet and 9 years WiFi (802.11b/g/n)
experience.
I'm pleased to hear the 1500 speed on your USI connection is to your
satisfaction. However, the only service that does NOT compare favorably to
satellite internet is dial-up.
On my Comcast connection I get a typical sustained speed of 6000bps. On a
good day it'll hold nearer to 10000bps. Visiting my retired Mom in the
Chicago area this weekend where her AT&T cable service tests at a sustained
11000bps.
Let me go further...
I never understood how USI was going to get WiFi to work with the present
density of access points. If I were to plan such a system, I would have at
least twice the density.
Requiring special WiFi amplifiers in the consumer's home is proof positive
that the system as deployed is a bust. The proper place for the right
amplifier is on the poles.
Can someone tell me who on G-d's earth approved a contract where the base
station density is 1/2 of what is required to be effective? That bureaucrat
should be CANNED.
I expect we'll have a WiFi standard in the next 5 years that will probably
work at the present access point density. So what to do with the present
system? I agree that it's time to consider pulling the plug.
Steve Basile
Standish
> From: Lee <<email obscured>>
> Date: Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:06:37 +1300 (NZDT)
> To: Minneapolis Issues Forum <<email obscured>>
> Subject: Re: [Mpls] Minneapolis Wi-Fi: Time to Pull the Contract?
>
> I recently switched from my satellite provider to USI for my internet, and I
> must say that USI is remarkably fast and way less expensive.
>
> With my satellite provider, I was paying $39.99/month + the modem rental
> ($4.95/month, I think). With USI's annual payment plan, I'm now paying
> $228/year (works out to be a little less than $19/month) + $55ish/year for
the
> Ruckus rental ... so essentially I'm saving $250/year with USI AND getting
> much faster service. Plus I live on the 6th floor of a downtown condo. On
> average, I'm getting about 1400 kbps (almost full T1 speed), though lots of
> times the speed is much faster.
>
> Sure, you REALLY REALLY need to use the Ruckus amplifier to get the best
> signal quality, but if the cable/satellite providers also make you rent a
> modem from them, it's pretty much a wash on equipment costs. Plus since I
have
> a wireless card in my laptop, I can get a signal in lots of spots throughout
> the city. Something I couldn't do with my satellite provider.
>
> They may not be at 100% coverage, but things are a lot further along than I
> thought they would be. Plus, the customer service and billing folks are very
> friendly, and (I THINK) are based in the Twin Cities, so they aren't routing
> your call to some foreign country to be serviced.
>
> I'd say 3 out of 4 stars for USI. They've got some work to do, but they know
> that and aren't afraid to admit that things aren't at 100% yet.
>
> Try it out for a month before you cancel your service with your current
> provider. If you don't find that USI is better, you'll just be out $40 --
they
> give you $10 off your first month -- but if you're like me, you'll see the
> huge savings that can be had!!
>
> Lee Henderson
> Ward 7 / Downtown, Minneapolis
> Info about Lee Henderson: http://forums.e-democracy.org/contacts/leehenderson
>
> This topic's messages may be viewed at:
> http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/topic/ILlRS39cn96YlKrXrOZB9
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