|
|
 |
No Strings Attached:
Wireless Technology Gaining in Popularity
by Mandy Rogers
|
Wireless technology, which allows users to connect to a network or the Internet from a personal digital assistant (PDA) or laptop computer without “plugging in,” is proving it is here to stay.
Areas called “hot spots,” where users whose electronic devices have wireless capabilities can catch a wireless signal, are growing across the country and the world.
These areas use wireless fidelity, or “wi-fi” for short, and operate on a free, unlicensed airwave spectrum called 802.11.
Frank Hagy, chief information officer for the Florida League of Cities, says that in the near future, wireless technology will be as mainstream as the Internet is now.
Cost-effectiveness, convenience and “connectivity” are some of the reasons wireless technology has gained attention and a strong following.
“Compared to the cost of burying high-speed cables or fiber optics, wireless technology can be less expensive and quicker to install and implement,” Hagy says.
Hagy says the advances in public safety already are enormous, and will continue to grow in all parts of local government as wireless technology approaches the data-transfer speeds of internal networks.
“Being wireless provides connectivity for public safety, public works, and other city employees who are traveling or out in the field,” Hagy says. “Instead of making trips to the office to check e-mail or file reports, the worker can do it on the road, which increases productivity.”
Another way wireless technology can benefit cities is by drawing employees and families to the community.
“The newer generation is growing up with the assumption that access to the Internet and connectivity are as much a part of everyday life as the telephone,” Hagy says. “They will want to live and work in communities where high-speed access is available, and will become increasingly demanding upon their local government to ensure that such access is provided.”
|
|
Hagy says having a wireless network also could create opportunities for cities to attract companies and businesses.
“This technology can create an even playing field for smaller communities when competing for economic development and new businesses,” Hagy says.
Michael van Zwieten, the League’s assistant director of technology services, also believes there are many benefits to wireless technology.
“I view mobility as the primary benefit of wireless technology,” van Zwieten says. “Having a wireless environment makes it extremely easy for people on laptops or handhelds to move around the office or to home-network.”
Hagy and van Zwieten agree that there are some drawbacks to wireless use.
“Wireless 802.11 protocols are inherently insecure,” van Zwieten says. “If your wireless signal makes it out into your parking lot, all an intruder would need to do is park his or her car, turn on a laptop and connect to your network.
Hagy says one way to safeguard yourself against wireless hackers it to not transmit sensitive information, if possible, while using a wireless airwave.
“It’s important to be smart, and it’s important to be safe,” Hagy says. “Avoid using your credit-card number, or accessing or transmitting confidential information.”
Through a public-private partnership, the City of Tallahassee developed the Digital Canopy high-speed wireless network with Mainline Information Systems almost three years ago.
Wireless antennas allow downtown users to connect to the Internet for free. The network has been well received by Tallahassee residents, and especially by those in town for the legislative session.
Don DeLoach, chief information systems officer for the City of Tallahassee, says the project has been successful.
“We have proven that this works,” DeLoach says.
Sarah Wilson, director of Mainline Wireless, says the city and her company first tested the wireless system to make sure the technology works in Tallahassee’s sometimes-harsh climate.
“There are lightning, humidity and temperature extremes in this area,” Wilson says. “That’s one thing cities need to take into consideration.”
|
|
So far, the system has required very little maintenance, and some of the greatest advantages the city has experienced are the low cost involved in maintaining the network, speed and convenience for users, and the large amount of data that can be transmitted at one time.
Another advantage is visibility for being a city that is “up to speed” technologically.
However, DeLoach and Wilson stress that it is important for cities to consider why they would want to install a wireless network, and to be aware of the costs and of maintenance issues, such as maintaining security and hiring staff for a help desk, that are involved.
“Wanting to provide a free service to citizens is one thing, and wanting to create revenue is another,” DeLoach said. “It is important to explore all the options.”
The City of Jacksonville has created high-speed wireless Internet zones called JaxWIZ (Wireless Internet Zones) that provide free access to the Internet without a cable modem or dial-up connection.
Inside the zones, any electronic device enabled with wireless capabilities can connect.
The Landing, a popular downtown venue, is within one such zone, but most of Jacksonville’s WIZ users are in lower-income neighborhoods that received computers equipped with wireless capabilities donated by local businesses.
Sidney Wells, president and CEO of 1Accord Solutions, who facilitates the technology and works with the city to make the program possible, says the program has been well received by Jacksonville residents.
“Mayor John Peyton participated in getting the word out, which has helped the project get recognition,” Wells says. “This type of program adds value to our city, and it’s convenient for individual users to have a free service where they can do business and check e-mail in our zones.”
Not only are the zones important from a business standpoint, but Wells says the users who now have Internet access, and who might not have been able to afford a computer or Internet service before, benefit. Through the Internet, they can learn about jobs, educational and business opportunities, and access information on community programs and services.
“It’s great to be able to speak to the fact that we can give access to individuals who couldn’t have had it before,” Wells says. “Technology can do many things, but when you put it in the hands of people who have a desire to use it is when you really see the value.”
If you would like more information about wireless technology, or to learn about setting up wireless networks in your city, contact Frank Hagy at the League via e-mail or at 1-(800) 445-6248, ext.137.
Mandy Rogers is a publications specialist with the Florida League of Cities.
Reprinted from Quality Cities May/June 2004
Back to Top
Back to Quality Cities Resource Library Listing
|
|
|
