Top 10 Issues To Consider When Building a City-wide Wi-Fi
Network
By Charles Kaylor, Scott
Page, Chris Steins and Wally Siembab
January 5, 2005
Wi-Fi has arrived.
Technology today is as vital to economic growth as transportation
and utilities systems were in the past. With every passing day, it
seems, another local government announces - with much fanfare--plans
to deploy a wireless network. In the last 12 months alone, over a dozen
major U.S. cities have begun developing wireless network across the
city that will enable citizens to access the Internet from their homes,
businesses, shops, public institutions and parks.
Of course, a well-built wireless network can be an incredible asset
to a city or community. There are many reasons to consider Wi-Fi networks.
They can:
- provide access to bandwidth and speed that people would otherwise
go without;
- provide a boost to small businesses;
- help revitalize downtown; and
- showcase the readiness of a community to compete in the 21st
Century.
But the Wi-Fi waters are not without peril. Jumping into the Wi-Fi
game blind to its challenges can squander financial and technology
resources, as well as the public trust.
Before you launch your Wi-Fi campaign, be sure you have addressed
the following issues:
1. Does wireless fit into your overall technology plan for your city
or region?
(You do have one, right?)
A technology plan sets the vision, actions and implementation agenda
for providing access to, and use of technology. Wi-Fi initiatives should
not be setting the only agenda for how a city or region utilizes technology
but instead reinforce broader objectives that are derived from a collaborative
planning process.
2. What are the compelling public interests that citywide Wi-Fi would
satisfy?
It is easy to just jump on the latest technology trend. Resist that
temptation and make sure that you pursue clearly stated and sound policy
goals. Who (and how many) will benefit from the public Wi-Fi network?
What purposes will these users accomplish?
3. Is Wi-Fi the best way to address the diverse needs of your population?
Do you understand the technology needs of your diverse communities?
A Wi-Fi network is only one piece of the growing number of tools
and services that can improve workforce training, education, economic
empowerment and community building. A balanced technology strategy
should seek to ensure that any technology network or access point
will be used by the full range of local residents and businesses.
4. Is the Wi-Fi network a part of your broader e-government strategy?
Is your city prepared to use Wi-Fi to extend its range of municipal
service delivery? How will this new mode of access assist your internal
communications functions? (Are your public safety, public works,
transportation and other functions integrating Wi-Fi into their strategies
for service delivery?)
5. Who will pay for city-wide WiFi?
Are you using public funds? Have you accurately estimated your costs,
including maintenance, training, and insurance? Is your plan for
financing the network sustainable, especially if you plan for "dial-tone" service,
such as the telephone or 911 services? Is there a long-term plan
for attracting paying customers to defray costs?
6. What are your neighbors doing?
Are your plans for wireless taking into account similar plans that
neighboring jurisdictions might have? Do other public agencies plan
to integrate wireless into their existing communications functions?
For example, how will emergency responders integrate your Wi-Fi into
their communications processes?
7. Is the private sector your partner or your competition?
As wireless networks increasingly come to replace cellular service,
are you coordinating your deployment with private sector partners
in wireless networking? What is the extent that your deployment puts
you in competition with the private sector?
8. Have you given much thought to privacy, security, and liability?
Wireless communications are notoriously difficult to secure -- what
happens if private information is "sniffed" as it travels
across your wireless network?
What disclaimers will protect you against liability for information
or identify theft by those using your Wi-Fi network?
9. Is Wi-Fi a sustainable technology?
Are you sure that this is the technology you want to invest in, or
is this like laying copper in an era of fiber cable? Is your investment
strategy based on a long-term and flexible plan that can adapt to
changing technologies and applications? Does it enable additional
services through already emerging technologies like WI-MAX or 3rd
Generation (3G) networks?
10.Do you have an evaluation plan?
Will you be able to correct mistakes or oversights in your original
plan? How will you know when you have adequately met original objectives?
You will if you proactively collect data that helps you compare the
implementation of the network and services with expected outcomes
- especially economic outcomes. Benchmarking your progress will help
you determine how to alter and strengthen the value of your investment
in the future.
Wi-Fi networks offer an unprecedented opportunity to provide high-speed
Internet access to your population. Setting up a Wi-Fi network appears
affordable, when compared with building a city-wide fiber network.
But Wi-Fi is not free. Making prudent investment decisions means first
asking the tough questions. Ultimately, the goal is to foster a vibrant,
economically viable community by providing for its telecommunications
needs. Wi-Fi may offer that opportunity. But, as with anything else,
the key to success is proper planning.
|
