MuniWireless

Microsoft’s new alliance with JiWire to deliver “ultramercials” online greatly enhances the business case for free wireless Internet access supported by advertising. This could be just what the muni market needs to revive interest in free ad-sponsored service on muni networks.

The ad supported model took off like a shot a few years back with munis looking to their Internet providers to generate enough revenue from the private sector to underwrite the cost to deploy a network and provide free service…

By the end of May, Portland’s metro Wi-Fi network had registered nearly 20,000 users for its free tier of service, with 11,200 signing up last month alone.

According to a MetroFi press release, “May’s utilization also represents an estimated 11.5% of the population within the current coverage area.”

MetroFi, which is deploying and operating the network, reported last week that users spent 131,000 hours on the network last month and that the company deployed 70 new mesh nodes in the continuing build-out…

The final report on the independent tests of Portland’s municipal Wi-Fi network by local tech activists is in. Local coverage, it concludes, is not what was promised.After independently testing the network, they have issued a report critical of the city’s acceptance last month of the downtown test network.

The report expands on a preliminary report that Caleb Phillips and Russell Senior issued in March that found coverage was spotty across a proof-of-concept area built by MetroFi, the city’s provider.

A press release…

In the past few months, Portland Wi-Fi enthusiasts have openly criticized the performance of MetroFi’s network, which is being deployed throughout the city. MetroFi has been adding more wireless nodes to support demand and its latest figures show significant increases in user numbers and hours spent on the network. MetroFi has been busy rolling out its network and addressing the complaints aired by Portland Wi-Fi enthusiasts who tested the network’s wireless connections in various locations last March.

Between March and April…

Portland’s Bureau of Technology Services has officially accepted the city’s proof of concept network, based on data collected from its third-party testing vendor, Uptown Services.

According to the city’s statement of acceptance “These data provided a comprehensive examination of the throughput, coverage, availability, and security of MetroFi’s network within the proof of concept area. ”

Their findings contrast with a preliminary report on performance tests done last month by Caleb Phillips and Russell Senior in which the two found coverage to be…

The city’s usage metrics show Portland’s muni-network is delivering value to the residents who are using it but performance metrics, gathered by two Portland State University faculty members, show spotty coverage.The city’s usage metrics show Portland’s muni-network is delivering value to the residents who are using it but performance metrics, gathered by two Portland State University faculty members, show spotty coverage.

So, what is going on? The question is becoming increasingly crucial as more muni networks come online. Effective evaluation was…