One of Ours

The city of Spokane, Washington has activated what is believed to be the largest urban WiFi hot spot in the US. The "hot zone," as it is referred to by Spokane's mayor, covers 100 blocks of downtown Spokane. Taking advantage of recent advances in WiFi technology, the network uses fewer than ten antennas to blanket the area and cost less than US$75,000 to install. Residents of Spokane will get two hours per day of free access to the network, with subscription plans being planned for more extended use. City workers will utilize the network to speed up law-enforcement tasks such as writing tickets and running license plate checks, among other uses.

Given the relatively low cost to install the network and getting it up and running, networks like this could become more commonplace in urban areas. It would be a particularly attractive option in areas where old infrastructure leaves residents little or no choice in broadband ISPs. Such networks could also attract new business.

While the thought of your city offering WiFi Internet access in your neighborhood might warm the cockles of your heart, that may not be possible in some parts of the US. Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court ruled that states could limit broadband competition by prohibiting municipalities from offering telecommunications services (e.g., broadband). That decision could limit cities from offering WiFi as a broadband service. Of course, they could always leave the network wide open... and in the case of Spokane, the network is open to anyone for as much as two hours a day.