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The Wifi Slugfest Over Portland's PGE Park
tomwhore writes "Portland's community wireless networking group, Personal Telco Project (PTP), recently knocked one into the ball park with a new WiFi node. The new node covers the area around and inside of Portland's PGE Ballpark. While free internet access would be welcome by most, PGE Park managers are not happy. They recently cut a deal giving Comcast exclusive rights to do up their networking. 'This is our stadium, and we run the communications for it,' said Chris Metz, a PGE Park spokesman. To find out more about the impact of the PTPs latest home run check out this article in the Oregonian and over at the PTP's website." Let's hope the park also puts a Faraday cage around the whole park to ensure radio silence.
1. Volunteers enable wireless access at ballpark
2. They put out a news released titled, "PGE Park gets free Wi-Fi thanks to Personal Telco and Moonlight Staffing"
3. PGE Park management (understandably) is concerned that the news release implies their participation in this effort, and this might offend a major park sponsor, Comcast.
4. Comcast replies that they don't care. Life goes on.
They call this a "slugfest?" Yeesh...
Stop by my site where I write about ERP systems & more
Let's see what the courts say on this one. I would love the courts to say that it was illegal for an outside provider to broadcast network signals onto your property.
Can anyone else see the ramifications of this?
The poster writes, "They recently cut a deal giving Comcast exclusive rights to do up their networking," when the article clearly states multiple times that Comcast isn't an issue. Comcast is merely a sponsor of the park. The ballpark manager is being too sensitive to the wording of the PTP's press release which could be read to suggest that PGE park management worked with the PTP to set up the wireless access when in fact it is being provided from a location across the street. The park manager is inventing some sort of conflict where none exists. Be sure to read the article before engaging in knee-jerk bashing of Comcast.
"'This is our stadium, and we run the communications for it,' said Chris Metz, a PGE Park... "
What about cell phone communications?
Or palm pilots and the like?
What about communicating to the opposing team that you prefer them (ie, those cheering for the opposition must sit in section 9)?
Now the last example is quite silly, but what is the difference between wireless internet access and cellphone access? Do they have the legal rights to control such?
If someone opens a node and it extends over the park, the only thing they can do is do an intensive search of everyone coming into the park to make sure they aren't carrying anything that could access the node. I don't think that would go over very well.
Overrated? Few people? Your either stupid, or just have not really looked at the *scene* that hard. First of all, there are many projects what are setting up community waps and wlans. Some of a few mentionable ones are BAWUG and FreeNet.
Nobody cares about starbucks wireless internet access when they can associate with the AP down the street using a pringles can! Even users who dont know how to use external antennas can choose which access point they want to associate with. Which would you pick, the free one down the street, or the pay one at Starbucks/McD's?
As for so few people taking advantage of it, how many people do you think have implemented wireless to cover an apartment complex? Their house? Neighborhood? ALOT. I dont know the numbers, but Have read many, many, many success stories and am constantly doing ap setups for local businesses, as well as consumers.
Another venue you have probably not thought about is the WISP field. There is actually a verry successfull WISP in my city called KeyOn. For dialup proces they offer high speed internet via wireless. Heres the best part: they are not loosing money! People are coming to their service like bees to honey. Whats that say about "few people"? //WTF?!?!?
/root //Yay!
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C:\DOS
Speaking at Defcon 12 - Credit Card Networks Revisted: Pen
You people saying "why would you want to bring your laptop to a game" aren't getting the point.
What about WiFi PDAs? Great for sending that quick email or text message. What about WiFi cellphones? In order to replace the evil telecommunications giants, we need an IP connection _everywhere_. That's more important than being able to surf porn on your laptop.
Think future technologies, people!
--D