Deploying Wi-Fi Hook-Ups in Disaster Relief - what are the Considerations?
Wi-Fi networks constructed for disaster relief and administered either in affiliation with a private firm or by a city have surfaced in the last few years, in spite of strong resistance and persistent lobbying by cable operators and phone companies, which dispute that municipalities would rival unjustly against their personal broadband services. Following the devastating Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans infrastructure became totally destroyed. This meant implied that cellular networks and conventional wireline phone service became dysfunctional. Therefore, the notion of WiFi network for the city surfaced, and 3 months after the disaster, there was the deployment of a free city owned wireless internet system at the city center (Krim, 2005). The circumstance of New Orleans reveals the rising tendency of municipalities in America and the globe to start their own low-priced or free WiFi services to cover the whole city (Greene, 2006). Some considerations for deploying WiFi hookups, in New Orleans, are discussed below.
First, there is a need to diminish the digital segregation, whereby some individuals and businesses are underprivileged, for the incapacity, to access speedy internet. Some individuals and businesses can not afford to pay for the high speed broadband, whereas others become restricted by their geographic position (for instance in sparsely populated rural America), which complicates the process of setting up the infrastructure required for conventional wireline internet services.
Second, the cost of WiFi deployment is low. The WiFi network utilizes existing infrastructure, such as, lamp posts, electricity poles and municipal houses, in order to convey signals over a large region. For instance, the projected expenditure of the WiFi network in Philadelphia was estimated at over $10.00 million, for 1.5 people. On the other hand, the conventional broadband internet and cable internet network, in Lebanon was built at $ 8.5 million, yet it only has 17,000 citizens. Therefore, the cost per person of WiFi deployment would be lower than a wired network. Besides, the duration spent on deployment is moderately faster (New Millennium Research, 2005).
Third, wireless network that belongs to the municipally will develop competence and enhanced output in the running of law enforcement agencies and the city councils. This was evident in the competent operations of the construction inspectors, in New Orleans, who could quickly process paperwork for renovation consent without spending much time in journeys from city headquarters to the location. In prospect, WiFi networks can, as well, help law enforcers to carry out background tests on WiFi network, thus, lessening radio system hassles (Hamblen, 2006).
Antagonists of WiFi networks, which belong to municipality, dispute that supplying internet is not among the responsibilities or tasks of the municipality. Previously, it has been noticed that wired networks that belong to municipality operate on taxpayers’ subsidies as they have a high breakeven point. Such a conception can be used to detect WiFi networks that belong to the municipal (New Millennium Research, 2005). Again, bodies owned by the government uses money from taxpayers' to offer inexpensive or free internet. Suppose the institution finds itself in a financial difficulty due to a superior private rival the tax payer has to bear the loss, unwillingly, or by other lucrative government bodies. Municipal bodies might work on a non-profit dealing, and as of their lack of knowledge may build poor network operators due to weak expertise and operational choices and thus endangering tax dollars. Besides, it is likely that, in the happening of a financial crisis, the organization may expel private participants from the market through imposing bans, and forms the risk of emerging an incompetent state monopoly supplier of wireless internet.
The dispute for eradicating the digital segregation gets founded on flawed supposition that the accessibility of low cost or free internet is the answer for increasing competence and productivity among the underprivileged. Most probably, any efficiency boosts arising from accessibility of speedy internet to civic agencies will occur in the shape of cost savings.
Whether or not provinces, such as, New Orleans ought to be left to offer a WiFi network is a controversial issue. It can be debated that, in the modern age, Internet, similar to roads is an element of infrastructure and so its accessibility is the task of the local management, but not the private segment. Telephone companies dispute against letting high speed internet be accessible all, since it ruins their market and significant investment.
Nevertheless, the ultimate conclusion is that wireless technology is strong and proficient adequately to maintain key natural disasters and can be deployed within a lesser duration than the conventional cable structure. During disasters, cities such as New Orleans should be allowed to establish their own wireless structures, which could be relocated to private ventures, such as, EarthLink, for enhanced control and management.
Who will pay the Costs and who will obtain the Benefits?
While both private consumers and commercial ventures can gain from a citywide Wi-Fi network, there exist significant benefits that accumulate to the public segment. These benefits, rationalize the costs of deployment for some cities like New Orleans, which have previously experienced frequent t natural disasters.
How Complicated is it to deploy this Technology?
Anticipated Wi-Fi networks in large cities like New Orleans and Philadelphia have further stimulated the political jar. Consequently, a number of states including Florida, Nebraska and Louisiana, have endorsed regulations to control cities from constructing these networks. However, several cities that desire to offer free or inexpensive broadband access to citizens have gone on with their plans. Lately, federal legislators took up their grounds in support of municipalities, in a bill that traversed the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which will dominate these state decrees and stop more laws that stop cities from constructing their own broadband networks from enactment.
Most cities, which desire to provide their citizens with speedy Internet access, opt for technology founded on Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is easy to build and control because it functions in an unlicensed band of spectrum, thus leaving no need to buy access to air waves. Again, since apparatus used to convey Wi-Fi networks is quite cheap, Wi-Fi is spreading fast, and many laptops, in the market, comes outfitted with the technology. At present, the city of Philadelphia services almost 2,500 businesses and homes, or approximately a third of the municipality. Since its commencement, the service functioned well for roughly three quarters of the residents. However, the city's networks endeavored to offer sufficient signal strength for the remaining quarter in vain.
Where is this Technology going in the Long Run?
Wi-Fi technology has much potential ahead, and CEO of Wi-Fi Alliance has a grand vision for the service. Executives at Wi-Fi technology expect to see Wi-Fi become the prime source of network connectivity for businesses, replacing wired net works.
According to Rolf de Vegt, there are several rising Wi-Fi Alliance by Wi-Fi standards that will promote the competence of insidious wireless networking. An example of this standard is the enhanced spectral competence through using the latest Spatial Division Multiple Access that offers Wi-Fi networks superior radio coverage.
Many panelists indicate that work is moving ahead on the 802.11ac standard that will convey gigabit networking rates to wireless networks (Rethink Research Associates, 2005). This will serve as a key speed front. Besides, Quinn hopes that Wi-Fi space will increase by at least one gigabit per second, from 100 megabits, and she expects this to enlarge in the coming five years.
In conclusion, several considerations must be made before deploying WiFi hookups in any country. First, need to diminish the digital segregation, whereby some individuals and businesses are underprivileged, for the incapacity, to access speedy internet must be considered. Second, the cost per person of WiFi deployment and that of the wired network must be considered. Apparently, the cost per person of WiFi deployment would be lower than a wired network. Third, the need for competence in government and private sectors should be considered. Obviously, wireless network that belongs to the municipally will develop competence and enhanced output in the running of law enforcement agencies and the city councils. On the other hand, the dispute for eradicating the digital segregation gets founded on flawed supposition that the accessibility of low cost or free internet is the answer for increasing competence and productivity among the underprivileged. Lastly, both private consumers and commercial ventures can gain from a citywide Wi-Fi network. Also, there exist significant benefits that accumulate to the public segment.
References
Greene, T. (2006). VON: New Orleans' crime-fighting Wi-Fi network is now the city's lifeline. NetworkWorld. Retrieved from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/031606-new-orleans-wi-fi.html
Hamblen, M. (2006). New Orleans CIO vows to keep city Wi-Fi at high speeds. NetworkWorld. Retrieved from http://www.networkworld.com/news/2006/041406-new-orleans-cio-vows-to.html
Krim, J. (2005, November 29). New Orleans's new connection: city-owned WiFi system to be announced today. Washington Post, pp. D01.
New Millennium Research Council (2005). Not in the public interest - the myth of municipal WiFi networks. New Millennium Research. Retrieved from http://www.newmillenniumresearch.org/archive/wifireport2305.pdf
Rethink Research Associates (2005). Digital communities program shows municipal networks come of age. Retrieved from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G1-138704305.html
