[IP] more on worth thinkig about -- Municipal Wi-Fi

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Allan A Friedman <allan@sccs.swarthmore.edu>
Reply-To: <allan@friedmans.org>
Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 21:33:53 -0400 (EDT)
To: David Farber <dave@farber.net>
Cc: "Casserly, James" <jcasserly@WILLKIE.COM>
Subject: Re: [IP] worth thinkig about -- Municipal Wi-Fi


Mr. Tait does raise a good point: access alone does not solve urban
problems.  But even the most ardent digital divide activist as embraced
this by now.

The cost-per-citizen (fixed and annual) is far lower for muni wireless
than for schools, police, or road crews.  While there are some schools of
thought that argue that agenda-setting is strictly a zero-sum game, most
see political processes as more complex, so wireless would not have come
at the expense of these other factors, either fiscally or politically.

While some of the rhetoric surrounding public wireless can harken back to
a utopian era that misled many, the philly plan and similar innitiatives
should be considered on their own merits. There is significant evidence
that they can offer real quality-of-life improvement for a large number
of people.

(I happen to think the same about good public schools & libraries, but
that's another political battle)

/\llan

Allan Friedman
PhD Student, Public Policy
Kennedy School of Government
GEEK/WONK

On Thu, 14 Apr 2005, David Farber wrote:

>
>------ Forwarded Message
>From: "Casserly, James" <jcasserly@WILLKIE.COM>
>Date: Thu, 14 Apr 2005 17:12:27 -0400
>To: "'dave@farber.net'" <dave@farber.net>
>Subject: Municipal Wi-Fi
>
>Dave, you have previously distributed a number of items -- pro and con --
>about cities' plans to offer wireless services, but this one is singularly
>trenchant.
>
>Jim Casserly
>
>http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/11389598.htm
>
>The ballad of Philadelphia
>
>I read, with much enthusiasm, of Mayor Street's plan to make the city
>wireless. Unfortunately, I can't afford a laptop because I was laid off from
>my city job.
>
>In fact, I can't afford a computer, which stinks because my kid, who used
>our local library's computer, can't because of the cutbacks, which is just
>as well because I was getting sick of him having to dodge bullets on his way
>home. (What ever happened to that Safe Streets thing?) I'd pick him up, but
>I bent the axle on my car driving into one of the million potholes in my
>neighborhood, but good luck with the whole wireless thing.
>
>Brian P. Tait, Philadelphia
>
>
>Jim Casserly
>202/303-1119 (office)
>202/460-9159 (wireless)
>
>
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