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Tempe, AZ To Provide Wireless Broadband

Posted by Zonk on from the they-won-one dept.

jangobongo writes "City officials of Tempe, Arizona are laying claim to being the first major metropolitan area in the United States to deploy citywide wireless Internet access. MobilePro Corp. and Strix Systems have been contracted to provide a mesh network covering the entire city, which is to be in place by late summer or early fall. Downtown Tempe and the Arizona State University will have free access available, while the rest of the city will be offered monthly subscriptions ($20 for dial-up speed and $30 to $40 for high-speed wireless). Local broadband suppliers have been quiet on this, unlike elsewhere."

17 of 199 comments (clear)

  1. They're quiet because.. by geniusj · · Score: 5, Insightful

    they can compete with Tempe's pricing. They're not offering it for free everywhere or for something like $15/mo as has been suggested elsewhere.

    1. Re:They're quiet because.. by Telastyn · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Further, they will likely see increased demand outside of the city's network from people who get used to the "free" access and soon cannot live without it at home.

  2. Local Broadband Supplies Should Not Worry by $criptah · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If I had a deal like that in my hometown, I would subscribe; however, I would not shut my home connection down by any means.

    Let's face it, I have it pretty good: a static IP, a connection that never goes down, an ISP that filters all my mail and good support. Why would I cancel that? Wireless is nice to have, but doing it old school does not have to conflict with that.

  3. I Don't See This as Something to Celebrate by voodoo_bluesman · · Score: 2, Insightful

    For being such a geek, I don't like the sound of this. All I see if a big expense being picked up by the taxpayer. Things of this nature shouldn't be subsidized by the public, as they have nothing to do with ensuring civil liberties (which should be government's top priority on a very short list).

    It's just not right to make everyone pay for something only some will use.

    1. Re:I Don't See This as Something to Celebrate by soupdevil · · Score: 4, Insightful

      OK, so what about power, gas, water, sewer, garbage? I don't see anything wrong with cities providing utilities. They should be able to run this at cost or at a profit, and they're providing a service that private industry hasn't gotten around to doing yet.

    2. Re:I Don't See This as Something to Celebrate by voodoo_bluesman · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Economics tells us that there is a reason that private enterprise hasn't gotten around to it: demand.

    3. Re:I Don't See This as Something to Celebrate by timeOday · · Score: 2, Insightful

      All depends on how much they sell. For that price, I wouldn't be buying. That last think I need is yet another $40/month bill. Telephone, cable TV, DSL, netflix, cellphone, newspaper, now wireless... how many different bills will consumers put up with for essentially the same thing?

    4. Re:I Don't See This as Something to Celebrate by voodoo_bluesman · · Score: 2, Insightful

      If it wasn't for those 'millionaire CEOs', we wouldn't have much of what is available today at such a low cost.

    5. Re:I Don't See This as Something to Celebrate by voidptr · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Freedom of speech means you can say what you want to without the Government stopping you.

      It *doesn't* mean you get the right to make me pay for it.

      --
      This .sig for unofficial government use only. Official use subject to $500 fine.
  4. New cell for me by Murdoc · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Hey, if I had that in my city, now that I have Skype on my PocketPC Axim, it'd be just like a cell phone, but with cheap/free long distance! Woot!

    --
    Our ignorance is not so vast as our failure to use what we know. - M. King Hubbert
  5. Re:Steve down the street has open acccesspoint by will592 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Ummm, I know you're an AC ... but I'll bite. Tempe isn't just another city. Arizona State University fills Tempe to the brim. They know technology at ASU and I wouldn't be surprised if they're the first 'major' city to roll this out successfuly. This being said...Tempe is hardly a 'major' city. Good job ASU!

    Chris

  6. If most of the Internet is like trash... by unfortunateson · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ... then it makes sense for the city to do it.
    My village of about 60,000 includes trash pickup as a village service, paid by taxpayers. It's cheaper for them to contract it like that than each homeowner to do it on their own (I don't think businesses get a free ride here, so they're subsidizing my trash heap, most likely).

    The only ones whining about these things are the service providers hoping to make more money off individuals.

    And like trash, everybody, not just residents, benefits. Tourists like the trash they can find on the internet.

    --
    Design for Use, not Construction!
  7. Re:So many new opportunities by kidgenius · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Actually, Chandler is looking at doing city-wide WIFI with free downtown access, just like Tempe.

  8. Re:Steve down the street has open acccesspoint by E-Rock · · Score: 3, Insightful

    They didn't hire anyone. The University built it out for them at their cost.

  9. Re:Good Show by Qzukk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What pisses me off right now is that its easier to get a good coverage map for a cellphone then it is to find out if you can get DSL in a house BEFORE you move in.

    I look at these apartment locators and house listing services, and think that people are missing a major business opportunity... partner up with some DSL provider (pick one) and mark each listing that you can get DSL at that house... new subscribers for the DSL and tech savvy people buying the house.

    --
    If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
  10. I still can't understand why slashdot thinks by hsmith · · Score: 4, Insightful

    this is a good idea, besides the socialist factor played out here all the time.

    Face it, you are giving government control of the medium. You are giving them the power to censor the internet when they control it like this. You are already seeing the FEC trying to graple the internet for political speech (which the 1st ammendment is there to protect at its BASE!!!). Giving the government the power to distrubute connections is tantamount to giving them the rights to distribute newspapers and sell "spectrums" for TV/Radio stations to broadcast on (whcih they already do).

    Look where the FCC has gone with its control over that medium, they have been cracking down on "questionable content" for a long time.

    Be careful what you wish for.

  11. Is it my imagination or what? by Dark+Coder · · Score: 2, Insightful

    $20!!!! PER MONTH!!????

    One can circumvent that by lil' wardriving and getting it for free. 8.8 cents per mile for gasoline until an unsecured hotspot is detected.

    YMMV.