Big Easy Launches Free Wireless System
Tuesday November 29, 10:49 pm ET
By Alan Sayre, AP Business Writer
New Orleans Starts Nation's First Free Wireless Internet Network in
Bid to Boost Stalled Economy
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/051129/wireless_new_orleans.html?.v=13
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- To help boost its stalled economy,
hurricane-ravaged New Orleans is offering the nation's first free
wireless Internet network owned and run by a major city.
Mayor Ray Nagin said Tuesday the system would benefit residents and
small businesses who still can't get their Internet service restored
over the city's washed out telephone network, while showing the nation
"that we are building New Orleans back."
The system started operation Tuesday in the central business district
and French Quarter. It's to be available throughout the city in about
a year.
(snip)
The system uses hardware mounted on street lights. Most of the $1
million in equipment was donated by three companies: Intel Corp.,
Tropos Networks Inc. and Pronto Networks. The companies also plan to
donate equipment for the citywide expansion. Tropos is connecting the
system to the Internet at no charge.
The network uses "mesh" technology to pass the wireless signal from
pole to pole rather than each Wi-Fi transmitter being plugged directly
into a physical network cable. That way, laptop users will be able to
connect even in areas where the wireline phone network will take time
to restore.
The system will provide download speeds of 512 kilobits per second as
long as the city remains under a state of emergency. But the bandwidth
will be slowed to 128 kbps in accordance with a limit set by
Louisiana's law once the city's state of emergency is lifted at an
unknown future date.
The service will remain free for residents and businesses after the
state of emergency ends.
(snip)
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