Philly may go non-BPL wireless

Philadelphia says it's looking to have wide spread Internet access available over the next few years, but it likely will not be B-P-L. This, as the City of Brotherly Love looks to create a 135-square-mile wireless network instead.

Philadelphia's Mayor John Street has a vision to turn this community of historic and diverse neighborhoods into a Digital City. And, he's not looking at Broadband Over Powerline Internet access to do it.

Instead, Mayor Street, a big fan and user of technology - he carries his own Blackberry everywhere - sees the wireless world as the way to go. And, he's committed a task force to explore an estimated $10 million investment in the idea.

Mayor Street's chief information officer is Dianah Neff.

"Outdoor wireless has come on the scene and has presented an affordable entry point to create a dense, cellular mesh network that would act like an umbrella over the city," Neff explains. "And it's a transport, it's an outdoor transport that would allow wireless access that then goes to the Internet for all people in the city."

Neff says users of the system would have easy access. She notes one test site near City Hall is being getting great reviews.

"You can access it through a lap top, through a PC tablet through a hand-held device," Neff says. "You would log on, put in your code to the system. And in the case of Love Park - which is a hot spot now - it's free.

"All you have to do is go on and register. And then you get a connection out to the Internet."

Neff says the plan proposes to attach transmitters/receivers atop light posts.

"The best place to mount these in the outdoors is on the light posts because you need a power source," Neff says. "You could mount the radio antennas actually on the light posts which reside in the public right-of-way which is owned by the government.

"And that's why this has to be a public-private partnership and there's limited space on there you can't put a dozen companies' wireless device.

"But if you had this infrastructure that anybody could either pay to connect in for profit or ride for free, based on criteria that will be established, you would be able to do it."

Neff says the system would be "hot" for outdoor use. But there is equipment available to bring the signal indoors.

"There are devices that can be placed in your window to bring outdoor wireless," Neff says. "If your proximity is close to a fixed-wireless outdoor point, you may be able to get it in your house.

"And, so we see that there's a great opportunity to be able to go either out onto your front porch and log on into a wireless environment outdoors, or through a device, if you want to bring it into your home, to all rooms in your home.

"That may be one of the fee-services that would allow us to sustain the system."

Neff says the task force is looking at a couple options in terms of fees.

"The mayor is committed to providing some level of free access whether that's in public outdoor areas or as a low cost to everyone," Neff says. "There has been a committee that's been formed - the Wireless Philadelphia Executive Committee - they're looking at fees, roles and
responsibilities in the investment and the sustainability of the system."

Neff says the committee will deliver a report to Mayor Street by December. After that, bids will be sought and Neff says she'd like to see several neighborhoods up and running a few months later.

Philadelphia hopes have the whole network in operation sometime in 2006.

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