[Commcomp] Madison Metro wireless info.

[Eric Howland]

There was a request at the last meeting to forward information about the 
Madison Wireless list. It is a Yahoo groups list.
By sending a email to *madisonwireless-subscribe at yahoogroups.com with 
subscribe in both the subject line and in the body I got a "Please 
confirm your request to join madisonwireless" message.

There is also a web site http://madisoncommunitywireless.org/


If you are interested in wireless:

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*There is a bit of detail about the new municipal wi-fi network created 
against state law (using powers from the state of emergency) in New 
Orleans. This might be an interesting precedent. The news report was 
relatively favorable toward the city officials.

Also interesting is the map showing how much of the city still does not 
have phone service as of  Nov 29.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801773.html 


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Closer to home,  here is the press release from Madison about the 
October Cellnet, WFI  and MG&E deal.

NEWS RELEASE
Date: Thursday, October 20, 2005;
EMBARGOED until 3:00PM CENTRAL
Contact: George Twigg, 608-266-4611 (Mayor's Office)
         Michael Baehr, 858-228-2799 (WFI)
         Don McDonnell, 404-583-0003 (Cellnet)

Wireless Internet Moving Forward in Madison

Madison - Mayor Dave Cieslewicz announced today that a
group of high-technology companies has committed to
building and operating a wireless Internet ("Wi-Fi")
network in Madison with no expense to city taxpayers.
The network will initially cover the downtown area,
and eventually extend to cover the entire city.
Deployment downtown is expected to be completed by
March 2006 and, after successful deployment downtown,
coverage will be completed for the rest of the city by
early 2007.

"This is exciting news for Madison residents,
businesses and visitors," said Cieslewicz. "In my
Healthy City plan I identified Wi-Fi as a goal for our
community, and I am pleased that we are soon going to
see that goal become a reality. In addition to
providing an important new service for Madison
residents and businesses, it will further strengthen
Madison's national reputation as a highly-livable,
business-friendly, technologically savvy community."

Two companies - Cellnet and WFI (NASDAQ: WFII) - will
build and operate the new network, in cooperation with
MGE, which is providing access on its streetlights for
the placement of WiFi transmitters. Internet access
will be provided on a wholesale basis to retail
Internet Service Providers, which will in turn sell
access to the public. Pricing will be competitive with
other high-speed Internet options, with the added
benefit of being available in public spaces such as
parks. 

Mike Zito, Cellnet president and CEO remarked, "We're
looking forward to providing Wi-Fi service to support
the businesses, citizens and government of Madison."

"WFI is uniquely qualified for Madison's municipal
Wi-Fi project," said Eric DeMarco, President and CEO
of WFI.  "We have over a decade of wireless network
experience combined with our ability to enable
valuable solutions delivered wirelessly. These skills
and applications are precisely the combination that
municipalities seek, and represent WFI's ability to
leverage the technical experience from across our
Company to deliver compelling Wi-Fi solutions."

Today's announcement is the culmination of months-long
process that began with the release of a joint RFP in
December, 2004 by the City, Dane County and State of
Wisconsin. An AOL-led consortium was the leading
respondent to that RFP, but AOL withdrew from the
project in September. Following that decision, WFI,
which had partnered with AOL and invested significant
resources in the project, sought out a new partner and
identified Cellnet, forming the partnership being
announced today. 

#   #   #   #   #

George Twigg
Communications Director
Office of Mayor Dave Cieslewicz
210 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
Room 403
Madison, WI  53703
266-4611
267-8671 (fax)


*******
Madison Community Wireless Advocates is a grassroots group of residents 
who support the formation of a low-cost or free community wireless 
network in Madison and Dane County. For more information, please check 
out our website at:

<www.madisoncommunitywireless.org>

*******