On June 12, 2008, Earthlink Wireless plans to disconnect their municipal WiFi service in the City of Philadelphia. For the sake of being timely, I am releasing my unfinished documentary about the joint program between Earthlink Municipal WiFi and the local non-profit, Philadelphia Wireless, forgoing further editing and technical corrections.
My aspiration for this film was to represent the personal insights of a few Philadelphians and their hopes for how municipal wireless service could affect positive change in their city.
Philadelphia Wireless (the local non-profit) is still searching for a new provider to manage the network, continuing their mission of bridging the digital divide by providing internet service to those who can't afford it.
Please forward the link to anyone you think might be interested in this topic.
Change is in the Airwaves: A Documentary about the Philadelphia Wireless Initiative from George Rausch on Vimeo.
Wifi Philly
This is a very interesting film. One thing that people seem to forget with WIFI in general, is understanding that the transmitter on the light pole is much more powerful that that little USB wifi adapter on your laptop.
It is very much like the transmitter on the pole is shouting at you, you can barely hear it, and you are whispering back at it. It can't hear you. Unless you use a CPE, or a separate adapter close to the window or outside, you are not going to work.
This is not like a cell phone. All though cell phones have dead spots as well.
We have been running a wireless network in Phila for over 5 years. We are currently concentrating on business internet, but ran a residential service, until Earthlink came in to town. We decided that the frequencies that both Earthlink and Vector180 use to communicate with the users laptops, is way to crowded. It is unlicensed channels and are used from everything from Cordless phones to Nintendo DS's.
So the issue of many sources to pick from as indicated in the video is true, but so many are interfering with the rest, as well as Earthlink transmitters interfering with them as well.
So what do we do, to help out Wireless Phila?
Come up with a new model that concentrates on the low income sector that has support from the private sector.
Comments?
Bob Kelly
VP Operations/GM
Vector180 LLC
www.vector180.com
Bandwidth solutions for business
Sounds like you've put
Sounds like you've put together a great initiative Bob. I can't think of a single area you could seemingly improve upon.
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