City WiFi network

[RealtorJoe]

Tue June 3, 2008
City unveils new wireless network
By the Associated Press
Oklahoma City officials are unveiling what they're calling the largest city owned and operated Wi-Fi mesh network in the world.
The $5 million network system covers a 555-square-mile area. It was funded with money from a public safety capital sales tax and city capital improvement funds.

A demonstration of the new network was scheduled Tuesday afternoon at City Hall.

The network will be used for public safety and other city operations, but does not currently provide wireless Internet access to the public.

Police officers can use the network to access real-time data, while fire officials can locate water hydrants and review site maps and floor plans while responding to fires or accidents.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.
From newsok.com
City unveils new wireless network | NewsOK.com

[OKCMallen]

NO FREAKING WAY!!!! Very close to having it for everyone....that would be pretty impressive.

[venture]

Eh, it won't be public...and shouldn't be...until they can guarantee that emergency responders won't be lagged out thanks to heavy public usage. The bandwidth isn't going to be cheap to open it up to the public, and I doubt many will want to pay for it.

[FRISKY]

I can see this being a great backup communication system for emergency services in the event of another "major" event.

[venture]

Definitely with VoIP mobile phones coming out pretty heavy right now.

[traxx]

Eh, it won't be public...and shouldn't be...until they can guarantee that emergency responders won't be lagged out thanks to heavy public usage. The bandwidth isn't going to be cheap to open it up to the public, and I doubt many will want to pay for it.

Isn't the bandwidth being vacated by SD TV supposed to be allocated to emergency responders to alleviate this problem?

[hipsterdoofus]

at least now cops can look at porn easier while on the job....

[mmonroe]

There were some discussion of the public access being scrapped and now they're going to go with it... it has to be private.

[Blazerfan11]

Eh, it won't be public...and shouldn't be...until they can guarantee that emergency responders won't be lagged out thanks to heavy public usage. The bandwidth isn't going to be cheap to open it up to the public, and I doubt many will want to pay for it.

well then telecoms making a killing on the internet should be taxed to the extent that we get our r & d money back plus interest...

[Toadrax]

"while fire officials can locate water hydrants and review site maps and floor plans while responding to fires or accidents."

This information isn't ALREADY available in an offline format?

"Sorry we couldn't put out the fire because the city's linksys router needed to be restarted."

Don't get me wrong, I am all for this system(and have personal experience running wifi networks that span the size of okc in rural areas), I just hope whoever said that was only trying to think of something cool to say.

[Spartan]

NO FREAKING WAY!!!! Very close to having it for everyone....that would be pretty impressive.

Unfortunately, no.

I am extremely frustrated. There were conditions in this deal that a certain wireless provider that wanted the bid for this would have in exchange offered to put up a public WiFi net around downtown and the Oklahoma River free of charge to the city, obviously did not happen. This deal is nothing but a major failure and yet another major success slipping away.

[yukong]

In reality, this system has been up and running to a great extent for over a year now. I go to church with one of the city's computer people who was involved in the implementation and the PD has been using this for some time.

Those double antennas on the roofs of the police cars are for the wifi system. And all around the city, on traffic lights or corner light poles you can see small boxes with usually 2 antennas on them. Those are the wifi repeaters/transmitters.

I was surprised when I heard the story on the news as this has been going on for some time as far as I know.

[Toadrax]

Unfortunately, no.

I am extremely frustrated. There were conditions in this deal that a certain wireless provider that wanted the bid for this would have in exchange offered to put up a public WiFi net around downtown and the Oklahoma River free of charge to the city, obviously did not happen. This deal is nothing but a major failure and yet another major success slipping away.

It wouldn't be easy(cheap) downtown with all the obstructions, interference, and whatnot, but around the river it would be pretty cheap.

Considering it would be used off hours, the most expensive reoccurring cost in getting bandwidth there will be the rent you would pay to put a point to point link on one of the buildings downtown. The cost for that type of thing varies.

If a company had means to get something like that on the river for cheap, who would they submit the plan to?

[Spartan]

The Greater OKC Chamber because they have been soliciting interested parties in completing the vision of public WiFi access downtown for a long time now. They would be so eager to get a nibble they would put whoever would offer a reasonable bid straight through to Roy Williams as soon as possible.

[solitude]

Mick Cornett has already stated that this is on the back burner. The move is AWAY from community WiFi. It's been a problem everywhere they've been doing it.

[Toadrax]

Well ya, there are HUGE barriers to doing citywide WiFi. I wouldn't even know where to begin describing how limited 802.11b/g is, and that is what you have to support for consumers.

Doing it for the whole city would be a waste with better technology around the corner that is actually good. There will always be better technology around the corner, but what we have now really sucks.

I hate the marketing on wireless equipment too... 802.11g is "54mbs", but try to run 1/10th of the voip calls over a perfect 802.11g that you could with a cheap 10mbs switch. The "speed" is meaningless, misleading and all goes to hell when you start adding lots of users.

[Spartan]

I'm posting right now on a 2.0Mbps wireless connection that I'm able to pick up at my house which I shut off the utilities and services for last month since I'm in the middle of moving. It takes about 4 seconds or so for the pages to load on my laptop.

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Well ya, there are HUGE barriers to doing citywide WiFi. I wouldn't even know where to begin describing how limited 802.11b/g is, and that is what you have to support for consumers.

Doing it for the whole city would be a waste with better technology around the corner that is actually good. There will always be better technology around the corner, but what we have now really sucks.

I hate the marketing on wireless equipment too... 802.11g is "54mbs", but try to run 1/10th of the voip calls over a perfect 802.11g that you could with a cheap 10mbs switch. The "speed" is meaningless, misleading and all goes to hell when you start adding lots of users.

Speed ratings on networking equipment uses math that's WAY above the normal understanding of us mere mortals.

54mbs = 768kbps
10mbs = 14 baud

It stems from the entropy involved in the suckitude of gay people and gambling on the internet.

I swear it's true, and it's Inhofe's fault.

[andy157]

"while fire officials can locate water hydrants and review site maps and floor plans while responding to fires or accidents."

This information isn't ALREADY available in an offline format?

"Sorry we couldn't put out the fire because the city's linksys router needed to be restarted."

Don't get me wrong, I am all for this system(and have personal experience running wifi networks that span the size of okc in rural areas), I just hope whoever said that was only trying to think of something cool to say.

Yes Toadrax the information a Firefighter needs in order to respond to a citizens request for service is available in an offline format. The information is contained in three ring binders, commonly referd to as "map books".

Firefighters take great pride in keeping these books consistantly updated. They contain vital information such as street names and addresses, hydrant locations, chemical hazzards, detailed layouts, and the floorplans of most if not every commercial structure in OKC. Thank God they do. Because if they had to rely solely on this high dollar, unreliable, piece of crap, state of the art system they would be in a world of hurt. I know, I've used it, and it sucks.

[Toadrax]

Since it is opposite day...

54mbs = 14 baud
10mbs = 768kbps

It stems from the suckitude of straight people and churches on the internet.

Inhofe can fix this.

Am I doing it right?

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Since it is opposite day...

54mbs = 14 baud
10mbs = 768kbps

It stems from the suckitude of straight people and churches on the internet.

Inhofe can fix this.

Am I doing it right?

GENIUS.

[Toadrax]

I guess that means I lost :/

[Blazerfan11]

Mick Cornett has already stated that this is on the back burner. The move is AWAY from community WiFi. It's been a problem everywhere they've been doing it.

examples??????

[solitude]

examples??????

I wish I could give you some. I really don't know as I was just repeating what Mayor Cornett said. He said it like he knew what he was talking about.

As Toadrax said above, I think we need to remember that public WiFi, as we know it, will be a relatively shory-lived technology. New technologies are right around the corner that will allow us to 'plug into the grid' no matter where we are. The AT&T laptop cards (and the like) are a glimpse of the future. Just imagine it built into everything.

[Blazerfan11]

Typical.

Funny how "pro business!" stances always require no knowledge from supporters. Thats why they are so often inefficient.