Waiting For Citywide Wi-Fi

By Gene Bisbee

There's nothing better for the "Have Laptop, Will Travel" business community than the growing availability of Wi-Fi access.

Wireless Internet access -- often free -- is available at airports and truck stops, libraries and bookstores, restaurants and coffee shops, and hotels and college campuses. In plugged-in cities like Seattle, commuters can go online from city buses and ferries criss-crossing the Puget Sound.

But the early promise that business travelers could flip open their laptops to a Wi-Fi signal anywhere in a big city has yet to go online. Surprisingly, it's the small- to medium-sized towns that are heating up with citywide Wi-Fi in an effort to boost economic development.

While nearly 200 cities or counties operate some type of Wi-Fi network, the industry trade group MuniWireless reports about 90 municipalities supply citywide Wi-Fi access, and none are major cities.

Some have hotspots in place, but they're struggling with technical, political and economic issues that block full deployment. Philadelphia is the furthest along, supplying Wi-Fi to 15 square miles; its goal to blanket the city's entire 135-mile area faces delays.

All municipalities installing citywide Wi-Fi networks face a problem transmitting the signal from one wireless access point to another. Buildings, trees and weather patterns can break signals, as can interference from other radio frequencies. Service availability of 70% is slightly above average for municipal Wi-Fi zones. Only St. Cloud, Minnesota, hits 100%.

Another problem has been getting the signal indoors, as it doesn't readily pass through walls. MetroFi, which is building Portland's free Wi-Fi service, is one of several service providers that recommend an indoor "wireless booster," costing about $100. If the node is more than 100 yards away, an outdoor antenna might be the solution to weak signals.

In spite of those problems, big projects are planned. A consortium is putting together a free Wi-Fi system for the Silicon Valley, encompassing 1,500 square miles and 38 California cities. A proposal for Nassau and Suffolk counties in New York would serve a population of 3 million, and Los Angeles announced its citywide Wi-Fi initiative in February.

Business travelers face a wide range of payment options if their laptops can pick up a signal. Portland is all free; the service is supported by advertising. Tempe's 2-square-mile downtown business district is free, but the rest of the city is subscription based. Wi-Fi providers in most cities offer hourly and daily, as well as monthly subscriptions. EarthLink, the nation's biggest municipal Wi-Fi provider, announced recently it would sell its Wi-Fi service through retail.

Where can you find citywide Wi-Fi? A list of municipalities with citywide and hotspot Wi-Fi is available online at the MuniWireless Wi-Fi report (.pdf). Directories of smaller Wi-Fi hotspots, like those in coffee shops or hotels, can be found at JiWire.com (53,000 in the US alone), Wifihotspotlist.com, and Wifi411.com. JiWire's sister website WiFiFreeSpot.com only lists locations - airports, restaurants, campgrounds, stores - that offer free Wi-Fi.

Just be sure that your computer is secure before you log on. Hackers can intercept wireless data and even gain access to your laptop. Check with your company's IT team before heading out the door or review Wi-Fi security articles (such as "How to Protect Yourself at Wireless Hotspots" - Computerworld) to make sure your laptop is hardened against attack.