Here are some excerpts from “my interview”:1:

bq. …

bq. Dana Spiegel, executive director of NYCwireless, is skeptical of the deal’s impact, seeing it as little more than a public-relations move for both companies. Fon’s network, he says, is “to be perfectly blunt, tiny” and predominantly residential, making it not particularly valuable in public places. Ms. Rees says Fon has 60,000 Foneros in the U.S., though she acknowledges that Fon may not have the visibility of, say, T-Mobile with its Starbucks locations. While she maintains Fon’s footprint will be more effective over the long term, “over the short term we have to be strategic.” An example of that strategy: a “Fonbucks” campaign in which Fon has given away free La Foneras to people living near coffee shops.

bq. Mr. Spiegel calls Time Warner Cable’s deal with Fon “a parasitic billing system … I’m paying the same amount of money for less service and Time Warner Cable is getting more money from what I’ve already paid for.” His volunteer group’s members create free hot spots in New York City parks and public spaces and help bring free wireless Net access to underserved communities. In his view, NYCwireless’s approach is better: “Instead of taking a reduction in my value and handing it back to Time Warner, I’m taking that value and spreading it out among my local community.”

bq. Then there are efforts by cities and towns to offer cheap or free Wi-Fi. The most celebrated such efforts are taking shape in Philadelphia and San Francisco, but many other cities and towns are pursuing that goal, motivated by a desire to bridge the “digital divide” between rich and poor and eagerness to bill themselves as tech-friendly.

bq. One thing Mr. Spiegel and Ms. Rees seem to agree on: It’s too simplistic to see muni Wi-Fi as a threat to the aspirations of big ISPs and other wireless providers. Rather, muni Wi-Fi is likely to be complementary to such efforts. “What municipal offerings do is raise the baseline,” Mr. Spiegel says, contending that such services will primarily convert those left behind today. “Today’s baseline is dial-up. When municipal networks roll out, you’ll see a move from dial-up” up to a new baseline.

bq. …

bq. “When first introduced, [air-conditioning] was a luxury item,” Mr. Spiegel notes. “Stores that installed it saw a benefit. As it became more available, more and more stores added it and it became more of a cost of doing business.”

bq. So it will be with wireless. And as with air-conditioning, we’ll be startled to find ourselves going without now and again. We’ll even feel nostalgic about it.

[1]http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117743976135380805.html
[2]http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/04-23-2007/0004571121&EDATE=

I talked to Julie about the fact that I’m very skeptical about FON’s plan, at least in New York City. First, for every coffeeshop in NYC, there’s maybe a couple of apartments that could offer competing coverage. And if the Starbucks is in a commercial building, the business on the 2nd floor isn’t going to install a FON router just to get the few dollars of revenue share that they might see.

bq. Most of the FON hotspots Spiegel has seen in New York City are in the apartments of people who live above the first or second floors. Since wireless Internet travels only 100 to 150 feet indoors, “Only a handful of apartments are able to take advantage of the hotspots,” Spiegel said. “Everyone else in New York City has no advantage.”

bq. While some Starbucks are located on the first floor of apartment buildings, others are in business buildings, surrounded by open lobbies with high ceilings, Spiegel said. In these cases, he doubts anyone will be able to take advantage of the FON promotion.

And of course, there’s the ISP acceptable usage policies, which make FON-type sharing illegal, unless you use an independent ISP or business-grade DSL connection:

bq. Besides, Spiegel said, sharing one’s Internet service can be illegal. Internet service providers like Comcast and Time Warner do not allow consumers to resell their Internet connection — in fact, consumers aren’t even allowed to give the connection away for free. Smaller companies like Speakeasy and bway.net, on the other hand, allow consumers to profit from reselling.

bq. Spiegel estimates that 99 percent of all Internet connections in the United States fall into the first category, making FON-style sharing illegal.

Plus, we believe that in public spaces and semi-public spaces, the internet should be free:

bq. On Gothamist.com, a New York City Web site, a poster named “jg” wrote, “Gross. Make Internet free.”

bq. While Spiegel and NYCwireless appreciate that FON educates the public about wireless Internet, he basically agrees.

bq. “NYCwireless has as philosophy that in public spaces, Internet should be free,” Spiegel said. “[FON has] a philosophy that you should be paying for the Internet in some way or another.”

[1]http://www.thevillager.com/villager_201/wirelesscowerealatte.html

“WHRB Wireless in Cambridge”:3

[1]http://www.newburyopen.net
[2]http://www.whrb.org
[3]http://wirelesscommunity.files.wordpress.com/2006/12/queenszoo3.pngwp-content/uploads/2007/01/whrb_wireless_in_cambridge_20061119.mp3

In the podcast, Glenn and I speak about NYCwireless and the work it has done and continues to do in New York City. We also cover: NYCwireless’ efforts to put Wi-Fi in New York parks, the challenges with that, and what’s happening in Central Park, and an RFP issued by the economic development arm of the city that will examine the state of broadband across all the boroughs and what might be done to improve access to the Internet to all residents.

“Podcast [40 min., 20 MB, MP3]“:1

[1]http://www.wifinetnews.com/audio/wnn_012_dana_spiegel.mp3
[2]http://www.wifinetnews.com/

bq. *NYC unplugged: Parks going wireless*

bq. BY MELANIE LEFKOWITZ
Newsday Staff Writer

bq. For nearly 150 years, Central Park has been an urban oasis, a place where harried denizens of the concrete jungle can breathe fresh air, feel grass under their feet, while away an afternoon in the leafy shade.

bq. Starting later this month, they’ll also be able to check their e-mail.

bq. Central Park will be the first of 10 parks that the city parks department plans to make wireless-accessible this summer. Another 10 small parks, mostly run by nonprofit partnerships, already offer wireless (also known as Wi-Fi, short for Wireless Fidelity), which allows enabled computer users to surf the Web without plugging in. But it’s the introduction of the Internet to the city’s most famous and historic outdoor playground that seems to signal a new era.

bq. “The park’s adapted to the world as it adapts, and we’ve kept as much of the history and historic elements as possible, but of course the park’s meant for everyone to enjoy,” said Jennifer Pucci, a spokeswoman for the Central Park Conservancy, the nonprofit that manages the park. “And we feel that the Wi-Fi is going to be no different from a pen and paper.”

bq. Though its rolling lawns and gracious landscapes are rooted in the 19th century, Central Park is no stranger to the 21st. Power-walkers punch text into their BlackBerries as they round the curving paths. Mothers chat into cell phone headsets as they wheel their strollers toward playgrounds. And now, multitaskers seeking to enjoy nature more efficiently will have another tool at their disposal.

bq. …

bq. “Especially in New York City, parks are the most public places for gathering, and they really, over their history, have been viewed and used as community centers and as cultural centers,” said Dana Spiegel, executive director of NYCWireless, a nonprofit group that has helped set up the 10 parks that are already wireless-accessible but is not involved in the Central Park project. “So Wi-Fi is really an extension of that. Just like you have trees and benches and grass, we view Wi-Fi as an amenity that is increasingly important for everyday life.”

bq. …

bq. WiFi Salon, the contractor doing the installation, has agreed to absorb the costs but may recoup some of their investment through corporate sponsorships. In Bryant Park, where corporate sponsors fund the service, setup cost about $18,000 and the monthly fees run about $1,400, according to the Bryant Park Restoration Corp.

bq. …

[1]http://www.newsday.com/news/local/newyork/ny-nywifi034805398jul03,0,343914.story

bq. 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.

bq. 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.

bq. 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.

bq. *Parks Department Strategy*

bq. 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.

bq. 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.

bq. *NYC Wireless (sic) Perspective*

bq. 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.

bq. 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.

bq. 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.

bq. *Narrowing the Digital Divide*

bq. 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.

[1]http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/tech/20060613/19/1882

h2. “New York Times: Deadline Set for Wireless Internet in Parks”:1

bq. “[NYCwireless], a nonprofit group that did the technical work for those projects, has also set up networks at Union Square, Tompkins Square and Stuyvesant Cove Parks, and is building a network at Brooklyn Bridge Park this year.
So far, the city’s own efforts have paled compared with those achievements by private groups.”

h2. “New York Sun: New York Parks To Offer Free Web Access”:2

bq. “For the many New Yorkers seemingly locked to their laptops, the expansion of wireless access cannot come fast enough. But one suggestion at yesterday’s hearing – taking Wi-Fi to the city’s beaches – had even a leading wireless advocate issuing words of caution: “I think it’s a wonderful idea, but you have to be careful about getting sand in your laptop,” the executive director of [NYCwireless], Dana Spiegel, said.”

h2. “Newsday: Wireless Internet access urged for NYC parks”:3

bq. “We believe that free Internet is an amenity and should be provided to all New Yorkers just as grass, trees and benches are,” said Dana Spiegel, executive director of NYCwireless, a nonprofit organization that has worked with business groups and park boosters to set up wireless Internet access in several parks and open spaces.”

h2. More Headlines

*”BBC: Central Park to be wireless hub”:10*
*”New York Post: CENTRAL PK. TO BECOME A WEB SITE”:9*
*”WNBC: Techies Urge Wireless Web Access In NYC Park”:4*
*”WCBS: Wi-Fi Internet Access In NYC Parks?”:5*
*”SILive: Wireless Internet access urged for NYC parks”:6*
*”Spotlighting News: New York Central Park With WiFi”:7*
*”All Headline News: Deadline Set For Wireless Internet In Parks”:8*
*”Technology Review: Wi-Fi Coming to Parks in New York City”:11*

[1]http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/16/nyregion/16wifi.html
[2]http://www.nysun.com/article/32788
[3]http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny–parks-wi-fi0515may15,0,3939253.story?coll=ny-region-apnewyork
[4]http://www.wnbc.com/news/9221264/detail.html
[5]http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_136070920.html
[6]http://www.silive.com/newsflash/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-18/1147739966322390.xml&storylist=simetro
[7]http://www.spotlightingnews.com/article.php?news=2201
[8]http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7003589801
[9]http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/68590.htm
[10]http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4988792.stm
[11]http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=16890

p=.

http://33whitehall.video.blip.tv/uploadedFiles/Jaydedman-DanaSpiegel893.mov

[1]http://www.transitions.cits.ucsb.edu/
[2]http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/
[3]http://research.microsoft.com/~masmith/

bq. New York City lags far behind all of these municipalities. “Politicians [here] don’t know the difference between a server and a waiter,” said Andrew Rasiej, who ran for public advocate last year on a platform of providing municipal wireless broadband. “This is a city that made most of its money in the Industrial Age, and the people who control most of its power structures are Baby Boomers who don’t know much about technology.”

bq. The city inched closer to municipal wireless broadband last December when the City Council passed a bill creating a special taskforce to advise Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on technological options for “unwiring” New York, but this has stalled in the new session. Impatient activist groups have taken matters into their own hands.

bq. NYCwireless has installed wireless networks in Bryant Park, Union Square Park, Tompkins Square Park, Bowling Green Park, City Hall Park, and South Street Seaport. The group also maintains a database for users to identify neighborhood “hotspots.” And in keeping with the original, co-operative sentiments of Jones’ activity, the group provides open-source software, free of charge, to any apartment building or block that wants to build its own “mesh” wireless network.

bq. For around $5,000, a tech-savvy apartment resident can attach a “router” to a physical Internet connection in the building, and plug in two or three access points at electrical points on each floor of a typical six-storey building, according to NYCwireless Executive Director Dana Spiegel. These access points transmit wireless signals to residents on each floor, creating a “mesh”: a network that has no identifiable center—or owner—because each computer added creates more paths of connection.

bq. Organizations like NYCwireless can afford to give away their creations—often enhanced versions of other groups’ work across the country—because they’ve entirely bypassed the hefty research and development investment costs of the major telecommunications companies. “It’s not this black box, über-technology that requires zillions of dollars to do,” said Sascha Meinrath, project director of the Champaign-Urbana [Illinois] Community Wireless Network, whose software was developed by part-time volunteers sitting around drinking coffee and testing ideas.

bq. To many, the municipal wireless movement challenges the very concept of ownership: making a traditionally privately held utility available to everyone for next to nothing. Spiegel said communal networks brought people together. Discussing the recent New York Times feature, “Hey neighbor, stop piggy-backing on my wireless,” Spiegel said, “That’s completely wrong. It should be, ‘Hey neighbor, it’s great to finally meet you.’”

One of the corrections that needs to be made about the cost of building a wireless apartment building is that it should cost around $5,000 to light up the *entire* building, not just a single apartment. This price is based on a few assumptions about the size and construction of a building, but is well in line with some of the projects on which we’ve worked.

bq. Unsurprisingly, the giant telephone companies have made no secret of their hostility to the new technology. They are currently lobbying intensely at a federal level and in 15 states to pass laws banning municipalities from providing free wireless broadband, citing anti-monopoly concerns. Several traditional companies, including New York City’s main Internet providers Verizon and Time Warner Cable, impose non-sharing policies on users.

bq. Spiegel pointed out that there was no law against sharing an Internet connection. NYCwireless recommends ISPs that do not restrict use in this way, and instructs users how to set up security software to prevent harm to computers on a network.

bq. Groups like NYCwireless see wireless broadband as bridging socio-economic divides as well as bringing smaller communities together. While Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum has openly dismissed Internet access as a priority for low-income communities, NYCwireless secretary Laura Forlano describes a home broadband connection as helping users to find jobs and retail bargains. “Everyone knows public libraries are crowded and can only offer limited time online,” she said. “If you’re a single mother, you may only be able to go online at midnight.”

[1]http://www.nypress.com/19/14/news&columns/feature.cfm