Comments on: Free-Internet Plan Gets S.F. Controller’s Office OK http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/ Join the Debate! Read and comment on articles posted on actlocallysf.org. Fri, 16 May 2008 20:49:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.0 by: Scott Sjoberg http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-800 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 04:57:12 +0000 http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-800 Well. I hope all you people who made statements like... "what's the big hurry" are happy now. Earthlink has scraped it's proposal to offer free Wi-Fi coverage in SF because it now says it can not make any money from it. Now our only hope for a free city-wide Wi-Fi plan is for the city to pay tens of millions of tax dollars to put in it's own network... good going all you stonewallers out there... especially Chris Daly. If the city had not waited over 2 years to approve free Wi-Fi, we would have had it now. Earthlink is not pulling support from free Wi-Fi projects that got started early and are already mostly finished like the one in Philadelphia.<ul><li><label>Overall Rating</label>: 1</li> </ul> Well. I hope all you people who made statements like… “what’s the big hurry” are happy now. Earthlink has scraped it’s proposal to offer free Wi-Fi coverage in SF because it now says it can not make any money from it. Now our only hope for a free city-wide Wi-Fi plan is for the city to pay tens of millions of tax dollars to put in it’s own network… good going all you stonewallers out there… especially Chris Daly. If the city had not waited over 2 years to approve free Wi-Fi, we would have had it now. Earthlink is not pulling support from free Wi-Fi projects that got started early and are already mostly finished like the one in Philadelphia.
  • : 1
]]> by: Bruce Wolfe http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-672 Sun, 01 Jul 2007 00:34:20 +0000 http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-672 Folks, Here is the simple answer. We should not go into business or contract with companies that have publicly stated they are tentative of projects they have been courted by the city to work on. Additionally, we also must know if there is solvency of those companies, that they will stick around long enough to finish and carry on the project especially when it needs constant maintenance. These concerns and others need to be part of the balancing test when making these long-term decisions on services the city is well equipped to provide and afford with little affect. Whether we like the contract or not, we really have to pay attention to the winds of change in the marketplace. Despite the want or need for this contract to be successful, the market doesn't wait for the public or government. It has investors and market standing that is far more priority to leveraging their profits and cash flow. This may mean for any good businessperson that a shift in strategy is essential, if not, imminent. With that, we must keep our ears to the rails. Here is a major rumbling that we must not discount on our issue at hand from the new CEO of Earthlink, Rolla Huff. Respectfully, Bruce ===================== http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=200000837 "The real question around municipal Wi-Fi is, 'What is the economic model going to look like?' " said Huff. "At end of day, we all have to understand what it's going to take to make money at this." If he decides the business modwl is cloudy, Huff said, he won't hesitate to pull the plug -- even on highly visible projects like the Google-Earthlink effort to build a wireless network for San Francisco. "To the extent I don't think we have the capability to get to the point of profitability, I'll make that judgment, too."<ul><li><label>Overall Rating</label>: 1</li> </ul> Folks,
Here is the simple answer. We should not go into business or contract with companies that have publicly stated they are tentative of projects they have been courted by the city to work on. Additionally, we also must know if there is solvency of those companies, that they will stick around long enough to finish and carry on the project especially when it needs constant maintenance. These concerns and others need to be part of the balancing test when making these long-term decisions on services the city is well equipped to provide and afford with little affect.

Whether we like the contract or not, we really have to pay attention to the winds of
change in the marketplace. Despite the want or need for this contract to be successful,
the market doesn’t wait for the public or government. It has investors and market
standing that is far more priority to leveraging their profits and cash flow. This may
mean for any good businessperson that a shift in strategy is essential, if not, imminent.

With that, we must keep our ears to the rails. Here is a major rumbling that we must not
discount on our issue at hand from the new CEO of Earthlink, Rolla Huff.

Respectfully,
Bruce

=====================

http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=200000837
“The real question around municipal Wi-Fi is, ‘What is the economic model going to look
like?’ ” said Huff. “At end of day, we all have to understand what it’s going to take to
make money at this.”

If he decides the business modwl is cloudy, Huff said, he won’t hesitate to pull the plug — even on highly visible projects like the Google-Earthlink effort to build a wireless network for San Francisco. “To the extent I don’t think we have the capability to get to the point of profitability, I’ll make that judgment, too.”

  • : 1
]]> by: Rob Anderson http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-618 Thu, 31 May 2007 17:10:10 +0000 http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-618 Like the Bicycle Plan, citywide Wi-Fi may or may not be a good idea, but, according to state law, the city still has to do some kind of environmental review of the project first. Mayor Newsom should instruct the Planning Dept. to do that. Again, like the Bicycle Plan, what's the big hurry? Let's take our time and get it right.<ul><li><label>Overall Rating</label>: 1</li> </ul> Like the Bicycle Plan, citywide Wi-Fi may or may not be a good idea, but, according to state law, the city still has to do some kind of environmental review of the project first. Mayor Newsom should instruct the Planning Dept. to do that. Again, like the Bicycle Plan, what’s the big hurry? Let’s take our time and get it right.
  • : 1
]]> by: Scott Sjoberg http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-591 Fri, 18 May 2007 05:49:43 +0000 http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-591 I do not know why some of the posters here are so negative about the proposed Google/Earthling Wi-Fi service which will cost the city nothing, and yet will be a great benefit for people like me who want it. It is like someone handing you a $100 bill and you saying you do not want it because it is wrinkled. I myself plan to drop my $50 a month Comcast broadband service as soon as the $22 Google/Earthlink Wi-Fi service becomes available. So all these Board of Supervisor delays are personally costing me about $25 a month while I wait. I have tried DSL in my apartment 2 times before, but have found it to be unreliable... maybe due to the very old phone lines in my building. As far as privacy concerns, if you are worried, then I recommend do not use ANY Wi-Fi system at all, and stick with a hardwired Internet connection. Besides using the Google/Earthlink Wi-Fi system for my home Internet access, I am also looking forward to using it to browse the Internet from almost anywhere in the city when I purchase an iphone.<ul><li><label>Overall Rating</label>: 1</li> </ul> I do not know why some of the posters here are so negative about the proposed Google/Earthling Wi-Fi service which will cost the city nothing, and yet will be a great benefit for people like me who want it. It is like someone handing you a $100 bill and you saying you do not want it because it is wrinkled. I myself plan to drop my $50 a month Comcast broadband service as soon as the $22 Google/Earthlink Wi-Fi service becomes available. So all these Board of Supervisor delays are personally costing me about $25 a month while I wait. I have tried DSL in my apartment 2 times before, but have found it to be unreliable… maybe due to the very old phone lines in my building. As far as privacy concerns, if you are worried, then I recommend do not use ANY Wi-Fi system at all, and stick with a hardwired Internet connection. Besides using the Google/Earthlink Wi-Fi system for my home Internet access, I am also looking forward to using it to browse the Internet from almost anywhere in the city when I purchase an iphone.
  • : 1
]]> by: Vernon Skelton http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-588 Thu, 17 May 2007 14:51:40 +0000 http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-588 Whatever you like or don't like about free citywide internet access, it is great opportunity for SF. I was just in the Kansas City airport and they offered free wifi. Maybe we should do the same at SFO. In some Asian airports they offer free use of computers too. The coffee shops should love this, they will no longer have to maintain their own systems.<ul><li><label>Overall Rating</label>: 1</li> </ul> Whatever you like or don’t like about free citywide internet access, it is great opportunity for SF.

I was just in the Kansas City airport and they offered free wifi. Maybe we should do the same at SFO. In some Asian airports they offer free use of computers too.

The coffee shops should love this, they will no longer have to maintain their own systems.

  • : 1
]]> by: John Nelson http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-577 Tue, 15 May 2007 04:18:32 +0000 http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-577 I just did a search in the controller's document for the word "privacy": 0 occurrences. I guess that's how much we'll get with this plan.<ul><li><label>Overall Rating</label>: 1</li> </ul> I just did a search in the controller’s document for the word “privacy”: 0 occurrences. I guess that’s how much we’ll get with this plan.
  • : 1
]]> by: Kimo Crossman http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-575 Mon, 14 May 2007 04:41:44 +0000 http://actlocallysf.org/blog/topic/2007/05/12/free-internet-plan-gets-sf-controllers-office-ok/#comment-575 The Controller uses a figure of $35 for DSL (vs 10-20) and assumes many people will drop their reliable wired connection which has not been the case in other muni wifi rollouts. Also DSL is 768 speed, the free wifi offered is only 300 speed. These assumptions result in wildly inaccurate savings estimates. I believe it is likely that city does plan to issue a single source contract for government wifi based on Sunshine battles but they are waiting for the contract to be approved so that they can say they never put any money into the deal as a subsidy or tenant for the 'At No Cost to the City'. Then they will do just that. Here is another interesting story in the same Business Week issue about how the Digital Divide is going away as people who didn't have internet access find reasons to have it, they get it. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_21/b4035061.htm And then there is the PEW study just released showing that 50% of adults have little or no interest in additional Internet access. (basically the people who want internet access generally have it by now). http://www.muniwireless.com/article/view/5983/<ul><li><label>Overall Rating</label>: 10</li> </ul> The Controller uses a figure of $35 for DSL (vs 10-20) and assumes many people will drop their reliable wired connection which has not been the case in other muni wifi rollouts. Also DSL is 768 speed, the free wifi offered is only 300 speed. These assumptions result in wildly inaccurate savings estimates.

I believe it is likely that city does plan to issue a single source contract for government wifi based on Sunshine battles but they are waiting for the contract to be approved so that they can say they never put any money into the deal as a subsidy or tenant for the ‘At No Cost to the City’. Then they will do just that.

Here is another interesting story in the same Business Week issue about how the Digital Divide is going away as people who didn’t have internet access find reasons to have it, they get it.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_21/b4035061.htm

And then there is the PEW study just released showing that 50% of adults have little or no interest in additional Internet access. (basically the people who want internet access generally have it by now).

http://www.muniwireless.com/article/view/5983/

  • : 10
]]>