Technology Blog

From the Wi-Fi Networking News Archives:

Pete Sessions, former SBC employee whose wife works at the company and who maintains direct ownership of large Bell stock and option holdings, introduced a brief and terribly broad bill that eliminates essentially all forms of municipal ownership and outsourcing of broadband…

Senators McCain and Lautenberg’s alternative is the Community Broadband Act which will be incorporated into a telecom reform bill, and is backed by the National League of Cities and other groups.

While I have written consistently that municipal broadband isn’t a universal panacea as it is offered portrayed, I also believe strongly that local self-determination on critical development issues is as American (and conservative) as apple pie. Telcos try to paint local municipalities as competing in the same industry they regulate. But municipalities have little to no power over telcos, only state agencies and only in limited ways when telcos act as public utilities—which doesn’t include broadband in many states.

Something else to contact your senators about.

This post was written by George, source: The McCain-Lautenberg Community Broadband Act

Andy Timithy writes:

I took a day off from work monday, cranked up the De Peche Mode, took off my shirt and hooked up the airport extreme base station that has been sitting on my bedroom floor for the past month. Enjoy! Wait. It’s password protected because I’m a paranoid bastard. I don’t want Al Qaeda in a van doing bizarre shit on my dime.

I’m going to have to load some DM onto my iPod for those moments of tech support. I’m still not convinced about the shirtless thing though…

Scott Gearity emails (reprinted with permission):

George, just noticed this as I was about to head out the door to, ironically, Civilization in Tremont to do some work-related reading/writing. Seemed like something that might be of interest to you and your readers. It’s about a coffee shop in my old Seattle neighborhood of Capitol Hill called Victrola – which I used to visit occasionally and which many in that uniquely caffeinated town would tell you is one of the best local cafes in a place which has no shortage of them – that has decided to turn off their wifi access on the weekends to encourage social interaction.

http://wifinetnews.com/archives/005325.html

Cheers,
Scott
http://www.exportcontrolblog.com

I think I’d like to see WiFi a little more pervasive, before we start turning it off. Then again, I like the idea of intentional fostering conversations. Any one have an ideas on how to do both?

This post was written by George, source: Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out

Yesterday’s WiFi tour is in the book. We made 5 stops and did 4 podcasts - John Copic, Phil Nabors, Lev Gonick, and Cathy Monnin. I think the pace was better than last time, but transitioning from one place to the next is difficult, especially with the distance we travelled. But that’s the great thing about Cleveland and its hotspot - they’re all over. Jack’s comment last night was that it’s been quite a while since he’s had so many interesting conversations in one day.

My thoughts:

- I’m going to have to not get so much sushi early on.
- I went with a lighter set up. I had my iBook, iPod, digital camera, and my manbag. I didn’t charge my camera batteries enough. I still had way too many cords and wires.
- I’m not happy with the recording level of the podcasts. I ordered an iMic to try and get better volume.
- I like Collinwood even more.
- Phil is a great guy doing great things.
- I was surprised that Lev met us and talked so openly, but that’s how he is.
- I was glad John and Tim showed up, but I feel like our attention was on Lev.
- I’m excited that Cathy is working hard to improve their service and make libraries relevant in economic development. I also am more conscious of how much I miss spending time at the library.

So we talked about doing the third CWiFi Tour sometime in June or July, and only going to outdoor WiFi hotspots. Jack and I also decided we’re going to be more intentional about who we invite.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your feedback. Please leave a comment.

This post was written by George, source: CWiFi Tour Wrap Up

The podcast of the tour is with Cathy Monnin and her staff at the library, talking about the library system as third places and economic development engines.

This post was written by George, source: CWiFi Podcasts: @ Fairview Cuyahoga County Library

Talking with Lev Gonick about OneCleveland.

This post was written by George, source: CWiFi Podcasts: Lev Gonick @ The Biz Center

An excerpt of Tim Russo’s coverage of the tour:

George Nemeth at Brewed Fresh Daily is on another one of his Wi-Fi tours of Cleveland. I’ve made a habit of just turning up to meet them along the way. Meeting achieved at The Business Center on Huron Road, downtown Cleveland.

George and his posse breeze into the place like a White House advance team, prop open their laptops, and start goin’ to town. They got the blue tooth earpieces. The Ipods. The digital cameras. They’re wearin’ black.

This should be a movie. Think Reservoir Dogs soundtrack. They should wear skinny ties and cool shades. They need nicknames like “Shark” or “The Wolf”. They order coffee. Tell the waitress to turn off the damn TV. Quick. Now beat it, sweetheart. We got work to do…

Tim Russo quips “I’d rather live in poverty as a blogger than practice law.”

This post was written by George, source: Democracy Guy and the WiFi dogs

Jack, Steve, Valdis, and I chat with Phil Nabors, the CEO of Mustard Seed Market about technology, sustainability, and his 500 year business plans.

This post was written by George, source: CWiFi Podcasts: Phil Nabors @ Mustard Seed Market

Check out my CWiFi Tour Flickr Photos

This post was written by George, source: BFD Flickr

Steve, Valdis, Jack, and I talk with businessman John Copic about his neighborhood.

This post was written by George, source: CWiFi Podcasts: John Copic @ E. 185th St Arabica

I’ve got a couple issues with this post comparing municipal WiFi to golf courses.

First of all, are we forgetting that wealthy people pay taxes? Cities are pursuing stadiums, convention centers, and deep discount retailers by offering tax abatements, and using a public/private partnership to provide an amenity that would attract and retain people who pay taxes plus reduce the cost of providing municipal services is a bad idea?

Then there’s this bit:

Steve Titch, senior fellow at the Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based research organization that focuses on social issues. “It’s kind of like golf courses. Theoretically, they’re open to all. But . . . a set of clubs costs a lot of money.”

With wireless networks, “you still need an expensive laptop to see the benefits,” he said.

Spoken like a telco insider. It’s interesting to note that I don’t see any listing on the Heartland’s website disclosing their contributors. I’d also like to note that one of the articles Titch has written was developed with the New Millennium Research Council. Of the NMRC, Timothy Karr notes in his article Is Low-Cost Wi-Fi Un-American?

Too often, newspapers failed to follow the money that linked their sources at the Cato Institute and NMRC to the industry—taking at face value comments and data from these think tanks without revealing the conflicts of interest that would impugn their research.

A report discrediting community Internet issued by NMRC, for example, has been cited nearly a dozen times by journalists in the two months since its release. Not a single reporter bothered to let readers in on the fact that the NMRC receives money from the same corporations whose policy positions it just happens to profess.

Back to the “expensive laptop”. I froggled usb wifi adapter and found a servicable adapter for ANY computer for $19.95

Comments?

This post was written by George, source: More on Muni WiFi

Is what Steve Goldberg called me yesterday on the phone [cellphone, by the way] referring to this Free Times article:

George Nemeth, chief information officer for CoolCleveland.com, and a local evangelist of wi-fi, says it’s all about the free market. Will governments — with tax subsidy artificially lowering the cost of a service — be allowed to compete against businesses that provide the same service? It’s a line that blurs as cities compete against each other for citizens and jobs.

“If Cleveland is trying to lure people and businesses downtown, how can they do that? Businesses move if costs are lower. If you want tech businesses, cheap power and cheap Internet access would be a huge draw.”

The battle over where such lines are drawn typically ends up in the legislature, with copious opinions and money supplied by lobbyists. And as Nemeth observes, the telecommunications industry has some of the biggest and best-funded lobbyists trying to keep municipalities out of their business.

I really wish I recorded the conversation with Michael Gill I had that day. Maybe I’ll follow up with him.

This post was written by George, source: Quotable

Via the Cuyahoga County Planning Commission Weblog, “A Plain Dealer editorial admonishes SBC for going on the attack against OneCleveland“. From the editorial:

“[I]t is not hard to understand SBC’s trepidation. All telecommunications firms face an uncertain future as they compete for customers with cable and wireless companies on a technological terrain that is constantly changing. Thus, anything that looks like a competitor smacks of danger. The interest in OneCleveland shown by Intel, with its growing array of wireless applications, must seem especially threatening to SBC.”

Trepidation? I wouldn’t call lobbying the state legislature and writing nasty letters to civic leaders trepidation.

All I’ve got to say about the editorial board of the Plain Dealer is - wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.

I’m going to have to look at an issue of the PD to see if there’s another one of those full page DSL ads in it. But then again, it’s probably too much for me to expect one corporate fat cat to ask another to change.

I sincerely hope that if SBC is going to continue to play the competition, not collaboration game that OneCleveland forces increased competition for SBC. The only thing that stops an 800# gorilla is a bigger gorilla.

This post was written by George, source: PD pulls punch on WiFi editorial

If you pick up a Free Times this week, I’m quoted in an article by Michael Gill on page 14 titled Cleveland: Who, What, Where, Wi-Fi with the subtitle of “America’s poorest city is ground zero in a telecom war”.

It follows the article Is Low-Cost Wi-Fi Un-American?. I highly recommend you reading them and as soon as they’re up at FreeTimes.com, I’ll link to them.

Just a couple of things I want to point out:
- The letter from SBC Ohio president to Joe Roman
- Her refusal to comment
- OneCleveland president Scot Rourke refusing to comment
- No comment from Lev Gonick, but a very funny cartoon of him
- Lots of Chris Ronayne including him estimating the Water Department alone saving $4M a MONTH
- Michael Gill framing the service “[a]s an equalizer on par with [’free’] access to public education”

I put quotes around that last bit for all my anal retentive BFD readers who would argue that public education isn’t free. I would also point out my conservative republican friends that a municipal wireless access doesn’t mean free internet access. In Philadelphia’s case, “a social service non-profit… began to offer wireless broadband for just $5 a month”. Michael Gill writes:

[There’s] anecdotal evidence about children improving their attendence and parents starting samll businesses. Students in the neighborhood have been trained to do the repair and other troubleshooting. As of December, more than 100 students have been through the training program, and more than half have received paid technology internships with local companies.

The emphasis is mine.

So what’s the issue here? Why aren’t we doing this yet?

This post was written by George, source: Cleveland is ground zero again

I’m posting this from Bela Dubby in Lakewood’s Madison Village district. It’s just down the street from Capsule. I’m thinking that instead of going to Brendan O’Neill’s in Westlake for the WiFi tour on 5/12, we come here and go down down the street to Capsule.

I’ll probably be here this Saturday for the opening of their group show, which includes BFD fav Dott Schneider. If I’m not drinking coffee from Phoenix, I’ll probably be having a Samuel Smith Organic Ale.

This post was written by George, source: More free WiFi in Lakewood