Opinion: Little Decatur sets a standard for sensible deployments

Decatur, Georgia, a city of only four square miles, is deploying an outdoor Wi-Fi network with a deliberate resolve that appears to be free of the political ambitions and oversized promises that too often accompany muni deployments.I was happy to see, in a recent report in The Atlanta Constitution, that Decatur, Georgia, is working to avoid the mistakes that too often plague proposals for municipal Wi-Fi networks.

News of its continued progress comes as a refreshing welcome on two fronts: It’s a positive contrast to the political debacle in Toledo that threatened its network this week, and it represents the best effort of a city to realistically present the service to its citizens.

Decatur officials have made it clear that the network will deliver outdoor service to parks and public plazas where people congregate and are likely to use their laptops. They are not overpromising.

The Constitution’s story notes “The radio transmissions might penetrate homes and offices, allowing some Decatur residents an alternative to their current internet service providers.” The key word here is “might.” No promises of indoor service are being made. Indoor service where, and if, it’s available, will likely be greeted by residents as a pleasant surprise.

Too many times in the past, announcements for muni deployments seem to have served the political ambitions of mayors seeking to enhance their popularity with announcements of free or low-cost in-home service to their constituents. Not only is indoor service a difficult achievement for 2.4 Ghz Wi-Fi technology, these business models rarely succeed in attracting serious bidders. Munis must recognize that a sound business proposition much exist for service providers as well.

The wireless network in Decatur will be the first in the Atlanta metro area to bring outdoor connectivity to city residents and visitors. The city is one of six in the state that received grants from the Georgia Technology Authority’s Wireless Communities Georgia program. The grant will offset $427,500 of the expected $620,000 first-year cost. The grant requires the city to engage a private partner to deploy the network.

Earlier this year, the city hit a stumbling block when AT&T demanded it attain CLEC status before the company would negotiate access rights to telephone poles to mount attennas. The city is mounting the antennas on city-owned assets instead.

Click here to read the story in The Atlanta Constitution.

–Carol Ellison