Are we a modern city?
Case in point ... why do we not have broadband access to everyone in the (wider) city?
This from Singapore:
Singapore gets free wireless connectivity with Wireless@SG while no one gets left behind in the digital revolution. Find out about how the Singapore Government is reaching out to more Singaporeans and equipping everyone to take full advantage of the digital opportunities that are opening up.
So why don't we do that?
Is it a case, as some think (in the comments), that the Government should stay out of providing infrastructure and leave it to the private industry (to which I assume they are referring to Telecom or TelstraClear)?
To be fair the Council is doing something about it - read their broadband plan
Wellington City Councillors have agreed to a vision that could see affordable, high-speed broadband access throughout the city by 2012.
But we all know how fast technology moves (have you seen the just announced, 2cm deep Apple MacAir?) and so this promise for 2012 by our Council seems, at best, limited in vision and at worse, a huge missed opportunity. For instance, what we're promised for 2012 South Korea has had for 3 years.
A possible solution for you after the jump ...
Then again, why leave it all up to the Council? Why can't you and I get our butts into gear and do something about it? Why can't we work with the Council - something like, they supply the backbone into the areas and the communities wire themselves up from there.
What?
MiramarMike wires up Miramar from a Council laid broadband cable through The Cutting and up Park Road?!? Crickey, how much is MiramarMike on if he thinks he can become a Telco! If TelstraClear can't make money out it then who the heck does he think he is to attempt such folly?!?
No, not quite what I mean. But try this proposal for size:
- The Council lay fibre through the city and out to the suburbs - as is their state plan
- Connections to those close to the pipe are made
- These connections use something like Meraki* to then extend the network out for the good of the rest of us, FOR FREE
What do you think - need more info, try these to start off with:
We do this ladies and gentleman and this glorious city of ours will be held up high by all that is geek and connected in the world ... and you know that would be a good feeling.
ARE YOU WITH ME?
* Meraki, in a nutshell:
Meraki’s mission is to bring affordable Internet access to the next billion people. Meraki’s new approach to wireless networking empowers individuals and groups to bring access to local communities, anywhere in the world.
Yeah Mike!
Tell me how to do it and I'll dig through the concrete with my bare hands!
Design me some antennae earrings and I'll help spread the signal!
I saw that City Link were running their fibre cable up Constable Street tonight. The fastest Internet I ever experienced was when I had a City Link cable running into the Paramount for my own personal use. EVERYTHING has been slow since then.
No digging required, just buy a Meraki, plug it in and you've done your bit ... oh, get those round you to do their bit as well.
WiFi Earings - PATENT that idea NOW!
Oooh, CityLink is recently here in Miramar (for a certain film company I suspect) - maybe I can get onto that somehow. Ah, digging required after all Hadyn
i need to know more.
which link has it simplified for we non-expert people.
Try Wikipedia for a starter.
CityLink has a link?
I am very interested. You heard of Fon? I like that idea as well.
FON looks worth investigation - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FON
I wish there was more open wireless in the city. :(
Well... CityLink as much of the CBD covered. Weta have laid a large fibre ring out in Miramar for themselves, but they must have lots of spare fibres in the cable for others to use.
The WCC has said it'll spend $40 million on this, when I looked at it back in 2003/2004 it would've cost around $180 million to wire the whole of Wellington City (the City, not the region) with fibre to the home. $40 million if *spent right*, with some additional debt funding could go *a very long way*.
The only scary thought is, what if Wellington spends $40 million, then the Goverment goes "ooh, we better do something finally" and starts shelling out big bucks (about $4 billion to do 80% of the whole country). The Government absolutely has to reach this point at some state, there is no other choice, the only question will be when, and how late.
Wellington loses out in that case because it's paid for it out of its own pocket. As far as I'm aware they haven't reached any agreement with the Govt that if that happens WCC will be reimbursed.
I agree, we don't want or have to wait for wither local or central government agencies to do this "for" us.
We *could* just do it ourselves and then can catch-up if they want. That's the beauty of the Meraki (and others) devices ...
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