Re: [PLUG] City Wide Community Town Meeting on Mayor's Wireless Initiative, November 4th, 7:00-900 PM

[Eugene Smiley <eug+plug@esmiley.net>]

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M.Simons wrote:
> From: Ed Schwartz <edcivic@libertynet.org>
>
> Town Meeting on Mayor's Wireless Initiative, Thursday, November 4th
>
> The Mayor's Wireless Committee (on which I sit) is holding a
> city-wide community forum on the Mayor's Wireless Initiative on
> Thursday, November 4th, from 7:00-9:00 PM in City Council Chambers,
> Room 400, City Hall.

[snip]

http://www.phila.gov/wireless/

For those of you interested in this I found the City's web pages on
it interesting, although in a few cases a bit scary...


=== http://www.phila.gov/wireless/facts.html ===

"Funding and Governance: A public/private collaboration.
    * This collaboration must include not only those organizations
that represent the users of this technology but also those that are
already investing and providing wireless services today."

It scares me that the City will be "governing" a public medium along
with "private collaboration". This just smacks of sweatheart deals
behind closed doors. Especially after reading this part:

"Technology: It is affordable.
    * It can be deployed for $40,000 to $60,000/ sq. mile.
    * Wireless connectivity could be provided for the entire city for
$7 to $10 million."

However, reading the article from Government Technology magazine
(http://www.govtech.net/?pg=magazine/channel_story&channel=7&id=91571)
seems to be a little more reassuring.

"And there are government owned- and privately operated partnerships.
The city of Atlanta has gone out with an RFQ and selected a
management company to look at doing their wireless programs in
conjunction with their community technology centers. We are looking
at a joint powers authority. In Pennsylvania that requires state
approval. We're looking at a nonprofit, owned and operated. Or a
nonprofit owned and privately operated as a 501 c(6) which allows a
nonprofit to make a profit for the public good."

Ahhhh... Relief! Not so fast. "It could also be enterprise owned and
operated with a revenue sharing basis with tiered subscription fees,
one time usage revenues, roaming revenues."

Overall the GovTech article is a good read. Ms. Neff seems to have a
good grasp of things, but I think we need some of our clever group
wispering in her ear. Maybe I'm dreaming.


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