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New Orleans Tech Chief Vows WiFi Net Here to Stay
breckinshire writes "After Hurricane Katrina last year, New Orleans set up a city-wide wireless network to encourage businesses to return and assist in recovery. The New Orleans technology chief recently said that he intends to make the network permanent, in spite of state law and the disapproval of telecoms."
I take issue with the telecom companies trying to regulate what city government can and cannot do with their donated equipment. However, if the city shuts down their equipment and lets it sit inactive until another emergency the telecom companies do not have a problem with this.
What the city should propose to do is use the current emergency services systems (police, fire, etc.) in parallel with the wireless equipment. This would provide a variety of systems to use if one fails in the event of another hurricane. A majority if not all the equipment came from Cisco, which provides a software solution called LMR Over IP. This would ensure a highly redundant solution, just incase another event like hurricane Katrina happens again. This is a far better solution than having equipment sitting there useless, or removing it entirely.
/whisper/ Thanks for the candy!
And said that it's a lifeblood for city residents. He also said that Bell South, once he intimated that this might be done, immediately slowed down on committments they'd made to the City to get restoration done.
/.ers should start a movement to create an alternate net down there that can't be touched by the law. Not renegade, rather to aid the people in NO that use the city WiFi as a lifeline.
In a way, it's an 'up-the-telcos' soft of move. And who can blame him?
I'm for the citizens of NO, not incumbent telcos with rotten attitudes. Maybe
---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
One wonders how a law like that would get passed in the first place. Could it perhaps be campaign contributions by telcos?
It is truly scary that government officials believe that they are above the law. Laws are passed for a reason - for good or for bad, and we have to accept the law as it is, or collectively agree to change the law.
Sadly, in this day and age, many laws are being passed that are just plain stupid. However, even stupid laws are laws, and it takes a majority of supporters to repeal them.
Instead, it has been acceptable for a minority to willingly break the law, despite the fact that the laws are not going to be repealed. This happens over and over again, and sadly, government procecutors ignore their oaths and duties and allow this criminal activity to continue. Shame on them for their absolute incompetence and failure.
I like the idea of letting New Orleans keep their WIFI. I'm in no position to say that it's a bad thing. But evidently a majority of those in honestly elected office think it is a bad thing and passed a law to prevent it, and so being in a democracy, I have to accept that. That's the deal.
I also think the telecoms are fucked in the head. But that doesn't change the law.
I have to second that one...most of the crack dealers that left are not that technically inclined.
Right now with housing, etc...you cannot live in New Orleans unless you are a productive citizen with a job. There is no tax base there to provide for the welfare freeloaders that have not been able to come back. This isn't a racial thing...is an economic thing. If you can work...you can live in New Orleans. If we can survive this next hurricane season, I think that NOLA will actually be a much nicer place...crime is WAY down, and the state has taken over almost all of the schools in the city. The city has a chance to come back better than before...just hope the politicos don't blow this once in a lifetime chance to rebuild a city.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
You don't need a huge city with a tremendous bustling population to have wi-fi networks. The city of Flagstaff, Arizona, has lots of free wi-fi, and the population is only around 65,000,... Though it helps to have a major, state-supported University in town, combined with a pretty healthy hotel/hospitality industry,... ;-)
Heck, the hotel & restaurant industry supports the vast majority of Flagstaff's free wi-fi! No tax dollars necessary. You would think that, with all of the tourism in New Orleans, they wouldn't have a need for the government to fund a wi-fi project, either,...
I'll just have to inform yer ignorant ass that I'm a lifelong Democrat-(50 years), that I work with the black folks every day and we are the ones rebuilding this city side by side. Evidently you haven't been here or know nothing of what is going on here. The fellas I work with are glad to see the criminal element gone too because it was mostly black on black crime and they want to live in a city where they aren't getting shot and killed every day fool!
Won't Bow.....Don't Know How
If that's the case, then why isn't the local state government running the telco industry? I'm not in favor of this, but that would be the next logical step...would it not?
Life is not for the lazy.
According to the official EarthLink blog (http://blogs.earthlink.net/2006/03/saving_wifi_in _new_orleans.php) New Orleans has approached EarthLink about taking over the WiFi network there. Given that EarthLink is building out the networks in Philly and Anaheim as well this might be the solution to the problem. If a private company runs things the telcos can't complain.
Yes, ALL freeloaders. Corporation, or citizens...makes no difference to me. While were at it, get rid of the IRS. It's a bloated orginization whos only purpose is to provide a means of architecting society. Such an orginization provides *power* to the politicians in office to get re-elected.
Want fair? Support http://www.fairtax.org/
Life is not for the lazy.
If you can work...you can live in New Orleans
Well... not really. Rent skyrocketted here. A one bedroom apartment averages about $800 now
I think that NOLA will actually be a much nicer place...crime is WAY down
Sadly, no. Crime is rapidly returning to the city. Give it another month and it will be the same crime rates that we had pre-katrina.
This place pisses me off right now. I have a decent job, but I am struggling to pay rent. The crime is becoming unbelievable again, and half the city still looks like nuclear weapons were tested here. Literally HALF of the citys traffic lights still do not work.
I think the city will come back, but it won't be the paradise people were dreaming about. We will slowly trade the problems we have now with the problems we had before.
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Squirrel