|
An emerging business model for muni Wi-Fi; a boost for competition
The Gainesville (Florida) Regional Utility has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a wireless network that the city will use for public
safety, traffic management and public Internet access. The city owns GRU and will be spending $10 million on the network. Gainesville is not the
only city that will be spending money on wireless broadband infrastructure that will carry a host of applications. Burbank, California's public
utility announced that it is also deploying wireless broadband throughout the city to manage the energy grid and provide Internet access.
It is time for us to view broadband - wired and wireless - not as a service or an application but as infrastructure. The services that run on
top of that infrastructure – voice, Internet access, video, wireless camera surveillance, automated meter reading – can be provided by any
company (or by the city itself). Approaching broadband as infrastructure requires the city or region to invest in deploying and maintaining the
infrastructure, which it can open to all service providers and applications developers. When individuals and businesses have a choice of
providers, there's meaningful competition. This does not mean cities are competing unfairly with telcos and cable cos. It means that telcos and
cable cos now have to compete with other private enterprises who may be more nimble and innovative in delivering the services that people want
at the appropriate price.
Public Broadband in China and Beyond: Global Wireless City Summit Beijing, January 16-17, 2008
Here's your chance to learn about the rapidly-growing market for wireless networks around China and the Pacific Rim. In conjunction with BII Group, China's premier technology events company, MuniWireless is co-producing the first Global Wireless City Summit in Beijing from January 16-17, 2008. To be held at the beautiful Presidential Plaza Beijing, the Summit will bring together leaders from government, business and education to determine how China's many rapidly-growing cities can benefit from next-generation wireless networks to support their economic growth.
Up to 400 decision-makers from across China are expected to attend. Speakers at the Global Wireless City Summit will include numerous high-level national and local government officials, technology company executives, and academics from China and Taiwan. Scheduled lecturers from the United States include Chris Vein, Chief Information Officer for the City of San Francisco; Andrew Myles, President of the WiFi Alliance; and Mo Shakouri, Vice President of the WiMAX Forum.
For more information, click here.
Picks of the week:
Gainesville muni utility issues RFP for wireless network
Portland muni Wi-Fi network enables private enterprise
Trenton, NJ gets citywide Wi-Fi network
Guest commentary: building state-wide wireless networks
As broadband use grows, so do jobs
Other news this week:
Island network teaches and serves
NYC hotspot upgrades for voice, video, games
Muni wireless tabled in Connecticut
EarthLink leaves hole in muni wireless plan
World's tallest building deploys Wi-Fi mesh
Bristol extends its muni network
States begin rolling out telehealth initiatives
Mobile wireless classroom promotes health awareness in the UK
FCC allocates $417 million for US telehealth network
Court rules iPhone must be sold unlocked in Germany
Muni WiFi focus shifts to Main Street America
Arizona's Pinal County pursues wireless cloud
FCC to help underwrite North Carolina healthcare network
EarthLink: no more significant investments in muni Wi-Fi
Order the MuniWireless 2007 State of the Market Report
Latest news on U.S. federal and state regulations
Mark Your Calendar: April 28-30, 2008 -- MuniWireless08DC
The MuniWireless staff is already deep into planning our 2008 conference program, starting with MuniWireless08DC. This two-and-a-half-day conference will take place April 28-30 at the Marriott Bethesda (MD) Conference Center, and will feature more than 50 world-class speakers, an expended exhibit hall and a strong emphasis upon critical applications such as Public Safety and transforming technologies such as WiMAX. Look for more information soon about the program and registration over the next few weeks.
2nd Annual Municipal Wireless Cities Summit
Thursday, January 31st and Friday, February 1st, 2008 in Toronto
Ensure the success of your deployment! Attend and get Best Practices, Innovative Solutions, the Latest Benchmarks from 15+ established industry Case Studies dealing with:
- Successful funding models (public/private)
- Pros & Cons of "Anchor Tenancy"
- Key success factors in Build-outs
- Legal issues affecting deployments
- Next generation hardware that delivers
MuniWireless Subscribers - mention code 108005-MW and receive an EXCLUSIVE 20% discount off the Regular Summit rate!
Register today by calling 1-866-298-9343 or emailing registrations@strategyinstitute.com.
|
 |
|
