Somerville may install free wireless in Davis

[ceo]

From the Somerville Journal:

[John] Connolly also wants wireless Internet service for all of Davis Square.
The Ward 6 alderman is asking City Information Technology Director James Halloran to see if wireless Internet service can be provided to all of Davis Square by installing "a few well-situated" antennae.
"Perhaps it's something we can achieve by this fall," Connolly said.
Coffee shops, including Starbucks and the Diesel Café, already offer wireless Internet service inside their businesses for a nominal charge.
Connolly said he'd like Halloran to meet with the Chamber of Commerce and the Davis Square Business Interest Group to see if the service could be extended to laptop computer users sitting in parks and benches in the square.
If the service works in Davis Square, Connolly said maybe it could be brought to other squares in the city, too.

Comments

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I admit that on my first read, I missed the fact that they want this to be *free*. :) However, it wouldn't surprise me if this could be done at little cost by getting companies to donate the equipment and bandwidth in return for advertising.

As to why, well, I'd rather have free wireless than the inaugeration ball. Why did I subsidize that? The question is, I suppose, what is the purpose of government. I mean, why does Somerville put on ArtBeat, Open Studios, etc?

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

I'm not in favor of funding a party for Dubya and his cronies either. If they want an Inauguration Ball, let GWB pay for it out of his own pocket--or let the Republican Party pay for it.

as far as ArtBeat or Open Studios, those events aren't actually competing with for-profit businesses. In fact, they draw people from the surrounding area to Davis Sq., who hopefully spend some money and enrich the local economy while they're there. It's tourism. Funny to use the words "tourism" and "Somerville" in the same sentence, but that's what it is.

[mr-fancy-pants.livejournal.com]

>as far as ArtBeat or Open Studios, those events aren't actually competing with
>for-profit businesses. In fact, they draw people from the surrounding area to
>Davis Sq., who hopefully spend some money and enrich the local economy while
>they're there. It's tourism. Funny to use the words "tourism" and "Somerville"
>in the same sentence, but that's what it is.

Well, if there was free wireless in Davis, people with laptops might come and hang out in the parks around Davis to enjoy it. When they get thirsty/hungry, they may then come inside to the many establishments of the Sq and then "hopefully spend some money and enrich the local economy while they're there." :)

Granted it wouldn't draw as many people as ArtBeat, but it wouldn't last a day (or 2?), it would be permanent, which over time would draw in a lot of money. This assumes, of course, free wireless would draw new people in from surrounding areas, instead of just benefiting the people who already live here/come here on a regular basis.