The Times, mentions Dublin City council is tendering for a free Wifi network. Will they do what Google did in San Fran and make back money from hyper-localised ads? Now if Smart made the WiFi network in Cork free, they’d take some of their glory. 🙂
Damien Mulley
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A representative from the council was on morning ireland. He was a bit vague on what the plans would be. They had not decided if they would charge for the service. One thing he did say was that the service would not compete with comercial offerings. There would be no voip or the like. Just email and web browsing. Almost sounded like they were planning to wi-fi a dial up connection 🙂
Almost sounded like they were planning to wi-fi a dial up connection
It may turn out that way, if people actually read what’s going on in reality in SanFran.
http://www.theregister.com/2007/01/26/sf_wifi/
[…] I see from Damien Mulley that Dublin City Council is considering a dublin city wide free wifi network.    “Many European and US cities have set up citywide WiFi networks which are independent of the private sector,” said Brian Curtis, Dublin City Council’s IT manager. “We have a tender out for advisers to give independent advice on a number of issues around citywide WiFi access.” […]
They could deploy a ‘Ripwave’ type product cheaper than than WiFi. Older computers without WiFi could be used by the economic challenged, like schools. This could hardly be called broadband but it would be better than dialup, and it works fairly well most of the time, and requires less infrastructure.
At fon, we have rolled out a small muni-wifi project in Blanquefort in the South of France. We utilize the existing telecomms infrastructure, so the costs are pretty low (probably less than EUR 30,000 on equipment). See http://www.eire.com/2007/01/30/siliconrepubliccom-free-wireless-for-dublin-city/
I guess the problem with ripwave is that you need special equipment to access it.
Oh yes, I should say – they aren’t actually tendering for the service. They’re tendering for consultants to advise them.
I’ve been in contact with a member of the council since the middle of last year giving them “pointers” and information on similar network deployments. Have just read the tender document and am pleasantly surprised. The document takes a well balanced approach to the posibility of such a network.
When network gets installed an managed in a sensible manner it can prove to be a great asset to Dublin (and it’s population).
I for one will keep a close eye on it!
E.
Evert, which do you think have been the most successful projects in this area?
Antoin,
That all depends if you mean succesfull from a commercial viewpoint or from a social-economic point. Personally I do not think that these types of networks should be seen, managed or treated as commercial vertures. Muni-wifi networks should be seen as a public amenity the same as roads infra-structure (bad example in Ireland, I know…).
The network should be open from both a user as well as a service provider side. Every user should be able access it and every service provider should be able to offer their services through this medium.
It’s an extension of the good idea that was behind the establishment og the MAN’s in Ireland.
I could go on for another few hours about this…
E.
“They’re tendering for consultants to advise them.”
They will probably spend 20 million on the report alone.
What cities do you think are succeeding at doing that?