Oregon = Wi-Fi Heaven
By Justin Gardner | Related entries in TechnologyConnecting wirelessly to the internet from anywhere is the goal of many who have on-the-go lifestyles.
Now it seems a wi-fi “cloud” in the middle of rural Oregon is delivering on that promise.
While cities around the country are battling over plans to offer free or cheap Internet access, this lonely terrain is served by what is billed as the world’s largest hotspot, a wireless cloud that stretches over 700 square miles of landscape so dry and desolate it could have been lifted from a cowboy tune.Similar wireless projects have been stymied in major metropolitan areas by telephone and cable TV companies, which have poured money into legislative bills aimed at discouraging such competition. In Philadelphia, for instance, plans to blanket the entire city with Wi-Fi fueled a battle in the Pennsylvania legislature with Verizon Communications Inc., leading to a law that limits the ability of every other municipality in the state to do the same.
But here among the thistle, large providers such as local phone company Qwest Communications International Inc. see little profit potential. So wireless entrepreneur Fred Ziari drew no resistance for his proposed wireless network, enabling him to quickly build the $5 million cloud at his own expense.
Very cool. The story goes on to say Ziari makes his money by charging fees to the city and various businesses for the rights to use the wi-fi, while leaving it for free to the public.
However, the city and businesses aren’t just using it for internet access.
Each client, he said, pays not only for yearly access to the cloud but also for specialized applications such as a program that allows local officials to check parking meters remotely.“Internet service is only a small part of it. The same wireless system is used for surveillance, for intelligent traffic system, for intelligent transportation, for telemedicine and for distance education,” said Ziari, who immigrated to the United States from the tiny Iranian town of Shahi on the Caspian Sea.
It’s revolutionizing the way business is conducted in this former frontier town.
This is the future folks. Connecting to the internet from anywhere you are. Instant information at your fingertips no matter where you are.
And trust me, it’s a lot closer than you think.
In other technology news, the company I work for has developed some interesting things of late. Check out this video, which shows us one of our guys asking a phone a question and getting back an answer.
This entry was posted on Sunday, October 16th, 2005 and is filed under Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 17th, 2005 at 8:09 am
Man, sooooo close to flying cars I can taste it……
October 17th, 2005 at 2:37 pm
Coincidentally, I wrote about this yesterday over at Pale Fire
October 17th, 2005 at 2:38 pm
Oops. Here is the permalink :)
October 18th, 2005 at 2:22 am
The real revolution will happen when google finishes its new free wifi system serving all of San Francisco
February 22nd, 2006 at 5:24 pm
Great blog. Found your blog while searching for more information at yahoo about wireless cell phone providers. Your blog has quite a lot of interesting thoughts. Keep up the good work.