MuniWireless

Stephouse Networks, a Portland-based wireless ISP, announced they are offering Wi-Fi and fixed WiMAX service within the five square miles of Portland’s downtown area and two square miles of North Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood. The fixed WiMAX service is targeted to enterprise users, primarily to replace more expensive T-1 lines.

Last week, I spoke to Tyler Booth, CEO of Stephouse, about their Portland network. Booth made it clear that Stephouse did not take over the MetroFi contract with Portland (even though…

Cablevision is spending over $300 million to deploy a wireless broadband network over the next two years to provide Wi-Fi service to its customers on the East Coast. The network will cost $100 per subscriber.

Cablevision has been delivering broadband service to the Bronx, Long Island, Westchester county (NY), New Jersey and Connecticut and it plans to extend Wi-Fi coverage to cover outdoor areas, according to this article. It’s not clear how large of an outdoor area they plan to cover.…

Toronto Hydro Telecom’s plan to deploy citywide wireless broadband seems to be going nowhere. At first it appeared that THT would be one of the more successful operators. It has access to its own fiber network and it is a public utility owned by the city. Not only that, it could use the network for municipal and utility applications, and deliver public Internet access. All the ingredients for a successful network, right? Well, according to this commentary, the problem is…

British Airways will provide free Wi-Fi access in all of its UK airport lounges starting April 1, thanks to a three-year deal with BT Openzone. This includes the newly opened Terminal 5 at Heathrow. BA becomes the first UK airline to offer free Wi-Fi in its lounges. A lot of people have complained in the past about the expensive Wi-Fi access in airports and BA’s move is certain to please a lot of passengers.

A recent survey by iPass (dated 10…

It’s a bit behind schedule and somewhat over budget but, by the end of the month, Minneapolis‘ muni Wi-Fi network will be a reality. And, by all reports, folks there think it’s worth the wait. The network merited its share of attention last year following the collapse of an interstate highway bridge in the city, performing data communications services for first responders after the city’s cellular service failed to deliver.

The city’s choice of private partners seems to be the “secret…

Philadelphia’s muni wireless network is in a holding pattern as it waits to see what EarthLink’s proposed sale of the network will mean to its future. Last week, in a interview with local radio station KYW, city Chief Information Officer Terry Phillis discussed the implications of the sale, calling it “by far the best alternative ” for the future of the network.

He acknowledged that finding an appropriate buyer will be challenging. Phillis said the buyer “would have to have a financial model that would…