Municipal Wireless Is Reshaping U.S. Cities

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Municipal wireless, the "next utility," just might reshape American cities.

By Lee Ann Schlatter

Hopping onto the high-speed information superhighway is an easy step for many of us: in our homes through cable or DSL, at free-access community "hot spots," in public libraries or coffee shops. For the digital "haves," with wireless-enabled laptops, it’s as close as the nearest signal.

With the Internet increasingly essential to daily life and with more cool new products making wireless communication easier, "access" takes on a broader meaning. Public officials today are facing the more difficult step of determining how to provide affordable service on a wide scale, to people at all economic levels.

One answer is municipal wireless, now being called the next utility. Conversations on the subject in and among cities are going strong. More than 500 communities across the country are actively exploring wireless initiatives.

"Access to technology and the Internet are economic development tools to attract businesses to a community. And people need to have the skills of the new economy to be able to participate meaningfully," said Marshall Runkle, director of municipal initiatives for One Economy, a nonprofit that works to bring Internet access to low-income neighborhoods.

To individuals, especially in lower-income families, access to the Web means connecting to the world around them: staying abreast of community news, searching online for jobs, gaining speedier access to government services, ensuring that children can complete school assignments, e-mailing far-flung friends and family, learning about all the Web can offer.

For cities, wireless can mean lower costs for government services, and improved access to them. It can mean a more attractive business climate, allowing for greater flexibility in working outside the constraints of an office and appealing to tourists.

Many cities are at an important point in developing their wireless networks: selecting providers; developing rules, rates and regulations; determining who has access and when.

Runkle predicted that 2007 would be the year "when we'll see Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco and a bunch of other big market networks get up and running."

Small communities are getting in on the act as well. In the Knight community of Milledgeville, Ga., city leaders were galvanized last spring by the announcement of a statewide competitive grant program by the Georgia Technology Authority. As part of its Knight Wireless Communities Initiative, Knight helped underwrite the application process with a $15,000 grant to One Economy, which worked with the city.

Weeks later, Milledgeville was one of six cities to receive a state grant, landing the largest share at more than $800,000. First on the list: hiring a project manager to develop the request for proposal from system vendors. "This wasn’t just some feel-good effort on the part of the state; they need communities to be successful in this effort," said Angie Gheesling, executive director of the Development Authority of the City of Milledgeville and Baldwin County.

The city of 30,000 has a progressive mindset, said Knight Program Director Beverly Blake. "This is about recognizing that the community had the vision and the leadership to do this."

Making Connections

Knight Foundation is working in the other communities it funds as a neutral convener to connect people with experience in the fledgling municipal wireless field – technology experts, policymakers, program managers and vendors – with those who are committed to finding the way for their cities.

Last summer, more than 200 people from 12 Knight communities attended a series of foundation-sponsored webinars. Topics included key lessons from projects already under way, including the public policies underpinning them; and an introduction to technology resources, vendors and industry information sources.  

At the table at these and continuing municipal wireless discussions have been leaders of local nonprofits and community agencies, government representatives and other movers and shakers – the people who will push and encourage, and those who will handle the nuts and bolts of developing strategy and realizing the vision.

"Imagine," said Knight Foundation President Alberto Ibargüen. "What might a community be like if there is unlimited access to the web?"

Untangling the Wires

Getting there requires a lot of learning. Broadband technology may be wireless or wired, or a combination designed to best serve an area. Basic business models include municipal ownership, public-private partnership or a blended model, with ownership by a municipality or non-governmental organization and operations outsourced. Each has its pluses and minuses.

Philadelphia and Portland, Ore., the furthest along of big U.S. cities, both have council-approved contracts with vendors. Philadelphia contracted with EarthLink to build, own and operate a subscription-based network. Portland also contracted with a private vendor, MetroFi, to build, own and operate a network – but MetroFi plans to cover its costs with advertising revenue while making most consumer services free.

"Different models make sense for each community. Finding the right model will be key to each one’s success," said Jorge Martinez, Knight Foundation director of information technology. "We do want to ensure that they get the philosophy right. As communities choose their own paths, we hope they'll emphasize inclusion and access to vital community information."

Everyone is eager to get started. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick declared in his inaugural address declared that municipal wireless is a key priority for his administration. After an initial foray, the city asked for help refining its proposal, and Knight Foundation provided the services of One Economy to help map out requirements for Detroit’s underprivileged. Knight also introduced experts at Intel Solutions Services, which has offered to help determine how the city can integrate wireless into its operations in specific ways that will reduce costs and improve services.

"It’s kind of like the early days of cable television, when everyone suddenly realized they needed to get on board and get their cities wired," said Martinez. "Communities armed with the best information about technology and its possibilities were able to negotiate the best deals that provided the greatest benefits and services."

The challenges are not to be glossed over. Political boundaries contribute to the complexity, as do ownership of the poles where antennas would go and technology's limited ability to penetrate buildings because of height, wiring, construction material – granite is nearly impermeable. 

Then there’s the people factor. How do you actually reach those who don’t sign up and log on? How do you make computers available, train beginners, provide tech support, demonstrate useful sites and services, encourage exploration? Who can take that on?

Roles for Everyone

This is where the nonprofits can play an essential role. The Knight Foundation grantee One Economy is one such organization working to close the digital divide, showing communities how to better use local resources.

Digital inclusion is more than just running a signal into low-income neighborhoods. It’s making sure people can afford computers and access, that they receive training and that they find useful content on the Web.

"Our focus is specifically in the home," said Cathy Colmenares, One Economy's Miami director. "We work to ensure that affordable access extends into low-income neighborhoods, multifamily housing and underdeveloped rural areas. We look for ways to make computers affordable, through grants, manufacturer discounts or low-cost loans."

Training and tech support are provided through the Digital Connectors program, which teaches neighborhood teens technical skills and how to coach novice users (see slide show). And useful content – some generic, some community-specific – is provided through The Beehive, a multilingual site that features information on health, education, jobs, money, entrepreneurship and other topics.

"Parents are very interested in trying to help their kids," Colmenares said. "That encourages them to learn to use the computers, too. In Little Havana, we found a lot of moms using the computers with their children – the guys weren’t as quick to get on."

Getting everyone on will take time and effort. Municipal wireless, as Knight’s Beverly Blake points out, is a means, not an end. But, said Blake, "we’ve got to start, because this is not the future, it’s the present."