NonProfit Approach for City WiFi (Boston)

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(From yesterday’s Globe and Mail)

Following Philadelphia and Washington D.C., Boston appears poised to take the non-profit route to providing “civic bandwidth”.

It’s a brief article, but highlights how more and more cities seem to be recognizing that relying on private (profit-oriented) providers may be counterproductive to  genuinely addressing “digital divide” issues.

If approved, this ($20million project) would be a major public policy initiative, and there are myriad ways this could falter, if appropriate discussions and plans are not put into place.

Richard O’Bryant from the Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University has emphasized that there are some key issues that must be considered, lest Boston (or any other city considering public Wi-Fi) end up in a “we built it but noone came” scenario.

According to O’Bryant, these issues (and recommendations for addressing them) include:

1) policy makers should refrain from the temptation of the city becoming an Internet or quasi-Internet service provider.  The service should be attached to institutions and entities that will not be so readily subject to changes in leadership and leadership ideologies and priorities.

2) build the system as a public and private partnership.  However, the process should be a bottom-up instead of top-down approach. In particular, identify community level individuals and groups to develop specific community needs assessments and gauge, (i.e. through polling/surveys), what the expected utilization rates might be.

3) policy makers should also be prepared to inform and train residents, specifically those technologically challenged, on how to make meaningful use of their new found wireless Internet service.

O’Bryant’s recommendations are right on, and are good starting points for any plan of this nature…

 (Full Article from G+M…) Continue reading →

Newest hotspot, Mini Bar

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Mini Bar mapThe Mini Bar is at 107 Mutual Street, just a few blocks East of our recently opened Dundas Square hotspot.

I haven’t been to the Mini Bar yet, but it sounds like a cool place. I found a review on The Martini Boys website, and they seem to like it:

And mini it is; small, charming, sophisticated. In what seems like in the middle of nowhere, the unique little martini bar and patio takes over the previously unused space behind Mutual Street Deli.

This is one of several new hotspots we’ve added to the Wireless Toronto network recently. You can always check out our full network on the WT map.

Wireless Parks and a Beach (!) in NYC

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Looks like more NYC parks (and one beach) are going wireless.  NYCwireless is the community wireless group that started it all with free wi-fi Bryant Park (2002) and more recently, Brooklyn Bridge Park.  Now, as this NYT article describes, 18 more parks are set to be “lit up” by end of month.  The “hot spots” will be ready to go by the end of next month at Battery, Central and Riverside Parks in Manhattan; Prospect Park in Brooklyn, the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens, and Pelham Bay and Van Cortlandt Parks and Orchard Beach in the Bronx.  A beach!

This rollout is also free, but is commercially-driven, as Wi-Fi Salon’s partnership with Nokia and $90K contract agreement with the City indicates:

Wi-Fi Salon, a small company started by an Upper East Side entrepreneur, Marshall W. Brown, won the three-year contract in October 2004, agreeing to make quarterly payments of $7,500 — totaling $90,000 over three years — or 10 percent of gross receipts from advertising and other sources, whichever is greater.

It looks like the “location-specific portal” is part of the plan here too – albeit with a clear focus on paid advertising over (free) user-generated content or community events and information:

 At each hot spot, users will encounter an initial Web portal with information about the park and local history and advertisements for Nokia and other sponsors, which could include retail kiosks that do business in the parks.

Interesting variation on the non-profit model that has already been pretty darn effective here in Toronto and other cities (Montreal, NYC, Seattle, Austin). 

Actually, the description of the lag in providing wireless on the part of NYC Parks sounds very familiar to Toronto’s situation:

The parks department’s own effort, covering some of the city’s largest and most heavily used parks, began around the same time but has proceeded in fits and starts. Verizon Communications initially won the contract in April 2004, only to withdraw a month later after concluding that the venture would not be cost-effective.

Despite an obvious advantage of offering free wi-fi in Toronto’s public parks and community spaces, the City has yet to launch any public access points of their own either.  (But that’s ok, we’re doing our best to make up for this! 🙂

But efforts like this one in NYC might help overcome reticence at the City (of Toronto).

I just hope Toronto would consider a non-commercial model of provision – we’re already subject to so much advertising in our daily urban lives, parks and beaches are one place where it’d be nice to (physically and virtually) be granted a reprieve. 

Indeed, it is arguable whether ad-supported wireless networks are even a cost-effective (let alone civic/responsible) way to go.  This is something Anthony blogged about (and that I reblogged) a few months ago.

But the one thing that really piqued my interest about this was the BEACH.  !!!  This is something I hadn’t considered before… This opens up a whole new realm of desired wireless zones in Toronto – Centre Island, Sunnyside, Ashbridges Bay – especially in the summer, free wi-fi in these places would be great for us Torontonians and out-of-towners alike!

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HotSquare (Yonge-Dundas)

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Don’t have airconditioning? Hate being cooped up at home, tied down by your need for a reliable internet connection, while the city and outdoors beckon?

Well, quit your whining, grab your laptop, and get outside!  As many of you know, you can alreay enjoy free wi-fi at Dufferin Grove Park and St. Lawrence Market. 

There’s now another (somewhat more central) location to choose from – Yonge-Dundas Square!  The “official” launch of the hotspot is in July, but the wireless network is up and running (for testing, but it seems fine), as of today. 

Cool down at one of the tables by the water fountains,  watch the tourists bustle around the Eaton Centre, or bring your laptop to Google factoids about The Blob or The Birds while you take in the Square’s (Tuesday) City Cinema nights.

Wireless in Winnipeg

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An interesting article in today’s G+M, talking about a project in Winnipeg that levers the (relatively) low-cost of wireless internet access and the experience and reach of some local community groups.

Closing the digital divide in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG — One of Winnipeg’s poorest neighbourhoods is poised to become the city’s only high-tech wireless Internet corridor, offering free access to low-income people.Currently, there are hot spots associated with businesses throughout the city, but no neighbourhoods have joined the trend towards wireless Internet access.Point Douglas is on its way to becoming the first.

“The Point Douglas area is one of the lowest-income areas in the city,” said Rhonda McCorriston, Neeginan Institute of Applied Technology education director.

…

The Aboriginal Centre of Winnipeg has already installed a wireless antenna on its building with the help of Smart Partners of Manitoba and the Computer Lending Library.

Smart Partners of Manitoba, a non-profit group that focuses on giving low-income people access to computer and Internet technology, plans to loan out 1,000 computers.

It’s really refreshing to see a partnership that seems to understand that narrowing the digital divide (nobody’s favorite phrase, but what can you do…) entails more than just “getting online”. That is, it’s also about providing access to hardware, support for online learning and use, and ensuring that programs are shaped to anticipate and address the specific needs of the community it serves.

Continue reading →

WT on Command-N and ChickenTest

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Between the 1-Year Anniversary party and the Dufferin Grove Launch, things have been busy (but  fun!) around here.  For those of you who missed out, here are a few links:

Photos

Command-N.  Their latest episode was shot at our 1 Year Anniversary party, and Patrick gives a (very) brief overview of what WT does at the beginning of the show.

TheChickenTest.com.  Besides the gorgeous weather we had for the Dufferin Grove launch, one of the best things about the event was getting to relax and chat with all the people who dropped by.  Of course, one of the most interesting visitors we had was W.R., who brings us this very entertaining clip. 

Enjoy!

Dufferin Grove launch

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Dufferin Grove Park launchDon’t forget, Wireless Toronto is launching it’s first outdoor hotspot this weekend, at Dufferin Grove Park (map).

A bunch of volunteers will be hanging out in the park Saturday and Sunday, so why not come by for a chat and see what’s going on. More details on upcoming.org.

To find us just look for the orange balloons. Today (Saturday) we’re down near the children’s playground at the south end of the park, Sunday we’ll probably be near the pizza oven at the North end.

As a special bonus offer, Sunday is Pizza Day in the park, so you can drop by, pay a couple of bucks for ingredients and have fresh baked pizza for lunch.

Note: We’re going to set up on Sunday at the south end of the park, near the playground, again. Though I’m sure regular visits to the pizza oven wil be scheduled.

Free WiFi in Dufferin Grove Park, just in time for good weather

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We’ve been working on this for a while, but this is our official announcement. Wireless Toronto are installing a free hotspot in Dufferin Grove Park (map) with the launch scheduled for the weekend of May 27th, 28th

We’ve been working closely the Friends of Dufferin Grove Park and the generous sponsors of the Dufferin Grove hotspot, Kijiji.ca ‘your free, local, community classified ads website’.

There’s going to be lots of fun stuff going on the launch weekend and Wireless Toronto and Kijiji people will be in the park to talk to you about what we’re up to. Hope to see you there.

Dufferin Grove WiFi flyer