Houston WiFi
The city is gearing up to choose a vendor that would finance and build a city WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) network. As envisioned now, it would be free for city government and in several public places around the city, including parks and libraries. But most residents and businesses would pay, albeit less than they do now, to access the high-speed network.
In the race for wireless, the question for an increasing number of cities is not whether to build a network, but how to pay for it.
The dollars can come from a variety of sources — users, businesses, advertisements, taxpayers, or a combination of those — depending on how the municipality chooses to fund the project.
"It's never free. There's some payment, some off-setting fee somewhere," said Craig Settles, a marketing consultant who authored the book Fighting the Good Fight for Municipal Wireless. "It's nice to be civic-minded, but this stuff costs money."
More than 50 cities and regions across the country have municipal networks and another 60 are in the planning stages, according to MuniWireless.com, which tracks such projects. Dozens of cities also have hotspots, or small areas with WiFi, as well as networks for municipal or public safety use only. And one industry research firm expects most cities in the country to have a network in place by 2010.
Buzz about free municipal access comes at least partly from San Francisco, where a partnership of the Internet search firm Google Inc. and Internet service provider EarthLink Inc., proposes to build a network that would generate revenue using advertisements. A slow-speed connection would be free to residents, while high-speed access, which uses more bandwidth and can handle more data, would come at a cost. The city is reviewing proposals from the Google-EarthLink partnership and other companies.
Network providers say this ad-based model has potential with the backing of a successful company like Google, and in compact San Francisco, which covers about 50 square miles.
Although Houston's bidders will have the option of proposing an ad-based system, experts are less sanguine about the prospect that advertising alone could support a network blanketing Houston's 600 square miles.
Houston looks likely to charge customers for access, with a possible discount for low-income residents. That would mirror the project under way in Philadelphia, the largest city in the country to give the go-ahead to municipal WiFi.
Houstonians can access the Internet for free now at numerous coffee shops, restaurants and other businesses, as well as some public libraries.
William Walker, who typed on his laptop as he drank coffee at Kraftsmen Baking on Montrose, said he supports Houston's initiative because it would help all residents access the Internet.
"I think it's good whether they charge for it or not. Of course it would be better if it were free," said Walker, an accountant who uses WiFi at coffee shops daily.
The city is requesting proposals for a network solely in downtown, estimated to cost about $300,000, Lewis said. The provider would then have the option of extending the network to other areas of the city.
Although a single contractor would provide the network, it would connect to various Internet service providers. The city would regulate the wholesale rate ISPs paid to the network, so the providers could charge consumers about $15 per month compared with the $30 to $50 now.
In the race for wireless, the question for an increasing number of cities is not whether to build a network, but how to pay for it.
The dollars can come from a variety of sources — users, businesses, advertisements, taxpayers, or a combination of those — depending on how the municipality chooses to fund the project.
"It's never free. There's some payment, some off-setting fee somewhere," said Craig Settles, a marketing consultant who authored the book Fighting the Good Fight for Municipal Wireless. "It's nice to be civic-minded, but this stuff costs money."
More than 50 cities and regions across the country have municipal networks and another 60 are in the planning stages, according to MuniWireless.com, which tracks such projects. Dozens of cities also have hotspots, or small areas with WiFi, as well as networks for municipal or public safety use only. And one industry research firm expects most cities in the country to have a network in place by 2010.
Buzz about free municipal access comes at least partly from San Francisco, where a partnership of the Internet search firm Google Inc. and Internet service provider EarthLink Inc., proposes to build a network that would generate revenue using advertisements. A slow-speed connection would be free to residents, while high-speed access, which uses more bandwidth and can handle more data, would come at a cost. The city is reviewing proposals from the Google-EarthLink partnership and other companies.
Network providers say this ad-based model has potential with the backing of a successful company like Google, and in compact San Francisco, which covers about 50 square miles.
Although Houston's bidders will have the option of proposing an ad-based system, experts are less sanguine about the prospect that advertising alone could support a network blanketing Houston's 600 square miles.
Houston looks likely to charge customers for access, with a possible discount for low-income residents. That would mirror the project under way in Philadelphia, the largest city in the country to give the go-ahead to municipal WiFi.
Houstonians can access the Internet for free now at numerous coffee shops, restaurants and other businesses, as well as some public libraries.
William Walker, who typed on his laptop as he drank coffee at Kraftsmen Baking on Montrose, said he supports Houston's initiative because it would help all residents access the Internet.
"I think it's good whether they charge for it or not. Of course it would be better if it were free," said Walker, an accountant who uses WiFi at coffee shops daily.
The city is requesting proposals for a network solely in downtown, estimated to cost about $300,000, Lewis said. The provider would then have the option of extending the network to other areas of the city.
Although a single contractor would provide the network, it would connect to various Internet service providers. The city would regulate the wholesale rate ISPs paid to the network, so the providers could charge consumers about $15 per month compared with the $30 to $50 now.
