MyGlobalCity

Ooh Baby It’s A Wired World May 11, 2006

(With apologies to Cat Stevens). Maybe it’s force of habit, but the title of this post is proof that even when I’m discussing wireless networks, I refer to a “wired” world. In a sense, the wiring is still there, it’s just organized differently. Then again, “unwired” world just doesn’t have the same ring to it. But regardless of what it’s called, no doubt the inhabitants of Iqaluit, in the Canadian territory of Nunavut, are more than happy to have their own free city-wide Wi-Fi network.

Nunavut simultaneously joins the growing list of cities and towns offering (or planning to offer) free city-wide Wi-Fi, and becomes the northernmost city in the world to do so, as Gerry Blackwell mentions in his Wi-Fi of the Frozen North article on Wi-Fi Planet. This is just speculation, but with one access point for the entire network, it’s quite possibly also the simplest citywide Wi-Fi network in the world, at least for now, and the least expensive.

Closer to home, for me at least, the city of Toronto, Canada, will have a citywide Wi-Fi network. The network phased in starting with the downtown core, and will not be free, except for the first six months per person. Interestingly, the company building the network is a subsidiary of the Toronto Hydro Corporation which is owned by the city. (Siemens is doing the integration work.)

I suppose that charging a daily or monthly rate to only those using the network is better than increasing property taxes for everyone. Or is it? Wouldn’t the cost of having to manage subscriber data be more costly than giving out free Wi-Fi? That’s just my educated guess. Wi-Fi Planet has another article discussing this and other problems with citywide wireless networks.

On the other hand, it’s easier to start with a paid network, then decide later to make it free. Going in the other direction is doomed to failure.

Technorati Tags: myglobalcity, my global city, municipal wi-fi networks, citywide wireless networks, global village