Gotham Gazette - http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/tech/
20060613/19/1882
Wireless Access
by Marcus Banks
13 Jun 2006
Earlier this month the New York Times criticized the slow growth of
wireless Internet access in New York City, which was the centerpiece
of Andrew Rasiej's bid for the office of public advocate last year.
The Times noted that free or low-cost wireless access is particularly
needed in poorer neighborhoods, where the cost of DSL or high-speed
service is prohibitive.
New York City's current patchwork approach to wireless access is
markedly different from that of other cities and many rural
communities. The national trend is toward developing free or low-cost
wireless networks that are accessible anywhere within a given region.
New York City has focused on wireless access in parks.
Thus far the Department of Parks and Recreation has been trying to
provide wireless access in selected parks through partnerships with
various non-profit and commercial groups. In addition, several
organizations have worked independently to "light up" selected parks.
For example, the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation provides
wireless access in Bryant Park, and the Alliance for Downtown New
York provides the same service in eight public spaces, including
three parks, in lower Manhattan. Both groups worked with NYC
Wireless, a non-profit organization that advocates universal wireless
access in New York City.
Parks Department Strategy
The parks department first solicited bids for vendors to provide
wireless access in 2003. Despite skepticism from some City Council
members and NYC Wireless, the department perceived wireless access as
a means of generating new revenue. The bid sought out companies
willing to pay a significant license fee to outfit some of the city's
largest parks, in exchange for selling subscriptions and/or pay-as-
you-go wireless access. Few vendors were interested, and over a year
later the contract was finally awarded to Wi-Fi Salon, a small firm
in Manhattan. Although Wi-Fi Salon has successfully launched wireless
service in part of Battery Park, it is almost one year behind
schedule for launching wireless service in nine other parks
throughout the city. The parks department has given Wi-Fi Salon a
deadline of the end of this summer for completing this contract, and
may approach other vendors if this is not met.
Because the original bid did not generate as much interest or revenue
as anticipated, the parks department issued a second bid for wireless
vendors earlier this year. The new bid has lower licensing fees,
allows vendors to bid on one park at a time rather than multiple
parks only, and assumes that wireless access will be free to all
individuals. In addition, there are shorter deadlines for completing
projects once a contract is awarded. There are early signs of success
for this approach; NYC Wireless is involved in providing wireless
service in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, and a Long Island company will
work on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and in Brooklyn's Columbus Park.
NYC Wireless Perspective
Even though NYC Wireless successfully competed for the recent parks
department bid, Executive Director Dana Spiegel expresses concerns
about it. He believes that wireless service should be treated as an
amenity that is as important as a park bench. Spiegel also worries
that, because of the costs associated with responding to the parks
department bid, many qualified groups have ignored it.
Spiegel feels that the city should pay for park access if no other
funds are available. With that said, in many instances parks
conservancies or "Friends of" groups could pay for installation and
maintenance of wireless service. However wireless access is funded,
Spiegel argues that it is a modest financial proposition, which pays
for itself in the creation of more vibrant parks.
Most NYC Wireless projects have not included the parks department.
Union Square, Tompkins Square and Stuyvesant Cove Parks all offer
wireless service established by NYC Wireless and interested local
groups. A similar installation at Brooklyn Bridge Park is currently
in development.
Narrowing the Digital Divide
One of the most important goals of universal wireless access is to
narrow the digital divide. The South Bronx Overall Economic
Development Corporation and Urban Communications Transport
Corporation recently launched the first freely available wireless
network in the South Bronx. Urban Communications Transport is a
minority-owned business that was initially founded to provide wired
Internet access in disadvantaged communities, and has now moved into
the wireless realm. If the South Bronx network proves successful, it
could serve as a model for similar networks in other neighborhoods
throughout the city.
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