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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.
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it has been acceptable for a minority to willingly break the law, despite the fact that the laws are not going to be repealed.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.........