Rhode Island: statewide wireless network
May 3, 2006 by Mary Wynne-Wynter
I initially got so excited about this..until I read the details. Not
for consumers? Some of the targeted applications sound pretty lame:
reporting size of beach crowds?
data about restaurant visits?
I'm not hopeful about the success of this initiative and don't understand why it is so limited. Probably the $5 million budget (and the power of Cox?). The small size and dense population make RI an excellent opportunity for statewide consumer wireless. Give RI citizens a $20/mo wireless broadband choice and I'd be following it with great interest about the value to small business, low-income citizens, and the economy overall.
Rhode Island wants statewide Wi-Fi
Tuesday, May 2, 2006 Posted: 0720 GMT (1520 HKT)
PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (Reuters)
America's smallest state is seeking to become its first to offer a wireless broadband network from border to border.
Backers of Rhode Island's $20 million project say it would improve services and make the state a testing ground for new business technologies.
The project is being funded by public and private sources, and once fully operational, users would pay $20 per month or a membership fee based on annual usage, said Saul Kaplan, acting executive director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, a partner in the project.
"We know the demand signals are there," said Kaplan.
Officials said the network would support services including business, education, emergency, health care and port security.
During the six-month pilot phase, for example, state health inspectors will test the system by entering data from restaurant visits into laptops and sending the information to the health department.
While the system is not being created for consumers, officials say it could have everyday applications, such as retrieving real-time information on the size of crowds at beaches or to access traffic information while driving.