Could Free WiFi Work Here?

The Times Union has an interesting article on the City of Albany's current project to cover the city in free wireless Internet. The system, called Albany Freenet, works like this: The City has been awarded grant money to pay for the installation of "nodes", which are large scale wireless routers that are placed on power lines and provide the surrounding area with wireless Internet. The City then contracts the actual Internet service out to a provider, in this case First Light, who then provides Internet access through the nodes. Individuals can then access Albany Freenet for up to one hour without paying and the company offers plans, including day passes and monthly access, for those who live in the coverage area. First Light also sells advertising on their website to help offset the costs associated with offering free Internet.

The City of Albany has recently received a $625,000 grant to help extend the coverage area of the program, and the parent company of First Light (Tech Valley Communications), has agreed to spend $3 million in their own capital to help cover the entire City. All told it is expected to cost $12 million to cover the entire City with free wireless Internet. What is great about this setup is that it is the perfect example of a Public-Private Partnership that allows the City to help build the infrastructure necessary to create the network and it allows First Light to focus on what it does best (providing Internet service).

The idea of providing wireless Internet in the region has been talked about in both Downtown Utica, and also on a lesser scale in the Village of Frankfort. Albany's attempts to bring free wireless Internet to the City should be watched by local leaders as it may end up being another tool in helping to attract businesses and people to the area by showing them that we are progressing with the times. To me it appears that this experiment can go in one of three directions:

1. It ends up being a huge success as people in Albany can now stay connected at all times and it also allows business and government leaders who visit the City to stay on top of things. It also shows those visiting the City that it is a City that is investing in new technologies and is progressing with the times to provide 21st Century Services.

2. It is a wash, the City now has free Wifi for up to one hour at a time and it is mainly utilized by residents who are checking their Facebook updates and tweeting on First Light's dime. This is not necessarily a bad outcome, as Albany now has a service most Cities don't have, but nothing major has come out of it (consider it the equivalent of building a new road that is casually used).

3. It turns into a complete boondoggle with the City and First Light loosing money hand over foot and the entire project is scrapped. This scenario seems highly unlikely due to the fact that Albany is a densely populated City that hosts scores of State and private offices that ensure that it has a high tech citizenry.

My prediction is that this experiment will end up being somewhere in the middle of options 1 and 2. No company is going to relocate to Albany simply because their employees are able to check their emails for free, but it will make the City look good and impress potential investors with their forward thinking. The project is also being financed with both Public and Private money, and I highly doubt that First Light would be investing over $3 million in a project that they thought would fail.

So what does this mean to us here in the Mohawk Valley? Well first off that we should begin to change our ways of thinking about infrastructure. The days of building a shiny new road and having people think that this is a great place to do business because of it are over. We need to begin to think of ways in which we can stand out from the competition and provide for a 21st Century infrastructure for 21st Century business. I often talk at length about the need for new transportation choices, but even more important is the ability to offer the basic necessities for business to take place. Working with Time Warner, or another company, to bring a free wireless service to Downtown Utica will not instantly fill the Harza building and bring about an end to the Hotel Utica's troubles, but it will prove to a nanotech company that we are a City willing to create the infrastructure necessary to both conduct business and make life more enjoyable. A businessman who decides to have lunch at a restaurant in Downtown can now keep tabs on what is going on in the office while out and about, thus increasing their standard of living.

Only time will tell in free wireless access in Cities will be a trend that catches on, but if it does our local leaders should begin to pursue Public-Private Partnerships with local companies to ensure that the risk involved in starting this program is spread out and that we develop the best possible service to meet our diverse needs. For if other Cities begin to have this service and we don't, it will become one more strike against us when it comes to enticing businesses to relocate here.