Possible Wireless Project for Port Angeles
The Port Angeles City Council will consider approving a $3.7 million project for the construction of almost three miles of new fiber lines and 240 new wireless points. If approved, the City will contribute $1.1 million; the rest of the funding is covered by the federal government.
This project could be in place by the end of 2012.
This project could be in place by the end of 2012.
posted by Tom Harper at 1:36 AM
20 Comments:
Would be nice to get internet service to the outlaying areas of Port Angeles!
I visitied a friend out in Neah Bay.. THEY had high speed cable..
I just wish CPI weren't involved.
Spending money on we don't have on something we can do without.
But never mind that, I see that ecology told them to shove it as far as the old mill site.
Hehehe
I was at the meeting tonight where they approved this. While it sounds interesting and will potentially help emergency services, they say it will help retail. In terms of the company supplying it, sure but what of local businesses like hotels and coffee shops that use free wifi as a draw to customers they will now lose. I dont see a general retail value as a local business owner
Huh. I'd like to get past the rah-rah cheerleader phase to see how this pans out.
The article didn't specifically say, the city has the grant if they vote in the matching funds? The retail core can pay for monthly usage but can private citizens, or are they stuck with the hour a day? Is special equipment required or can anyone with a wifi receiver hop on like they do everyplace else? Nice to see they're including a private ISP with this, but only "at first"?
And biggest question... do we have enough people with the technical know-how to build and maintain this network or is Bob Jensen going to be overworked first time the network goes down?
Yeah! Ya can fool some of the people, some of the time...
What a bunch of idiots! The committte is about natural resources, and the city says :" I wanna join because we want to cover the place in buildings". Big surprise they were rejected.
And Brad Collins says: " Of course, we're disappointed". Dude, ya wouldn't be disappointed if ya paid attention.
Yet the lay-offs and cut-backs continue while 1.1 million is spent on something we really don't need.
Typical Port Angeles behavior. Someone is going to make a bundle from this and it will eventually crash and burn.
Like all the other grant based projects in this town, "Follow the money". CPI?
Yeah, I thought so.
More of the same.
I don't understand the hate for CPI. They provide us with great service.
I do hope that whoever builds this has learned from past failed muni wifi projects. Most of them fail because they didn't use enough APs and the signals weren't strong enough to reach inside the house. If you wanted to use it you had to mount an external antenna at your own expense.
I have a project at work that uses aircards and we would love to ditch them at $55/month each to Verizon and start paying $18/month to a local company instead.
With the fiber optic cable and now the wifi, PA has a great opportunity to attract businesses here. In fact, I don't know why the City, Chamber of Commerce, PABA, and the Downtown Association have not been getting the word out about the opportunity here.
We live in an amazing area and with a FAST connection - such as fiber optic - many business that do not need to be located in a specific geographical location can do business here! Yahoo!
The way to help the economy is to encourage small business growth. The way to make this a prosperous community is to ATTRACT businesses. I have never lived in a place that is so unfriendly to business. Small businesses are the main employers in this country not large corporations.
The fiber optic connection allows me to live here and do business all over the United States. I love it. And yes I have employees!
So why isn't more being done here to attract more businesses like mine? Don't people want good paying jobs with benefits here? Why is the community not supporting this?
As you say: "I have never lived in a place that is so unfriendly to business."
See, unless you are part of the "inner circle" of this town, you are an "outsider". Pure and simple.
Many, many before you have poured tons of money into their ventures here, only to walk away with nothing. I hope things change, and you're not victimized as so many before you.
the fiber optic cable run by cpi is often slower than cable speeds. In fact, it's quirky as hell. Until you get the "sweetheart deals" out of the system, and get some real tech types in there, it's all a sad, sad joke.
Not being a customer of CPI or knowing much about fiber-optic services, it is disheartening to read "Anon 6:31 pm's" comments about CPI's deficiencies as to quality and speed. Did CPI get the contract mostly because of cronyism? It wouldn't surprise me; but how do we root out such practices? Do the few people "in the know" about technology simply BS their way past the city council in order to push lucrative contracts to their friends?
"Do the few people "in the know" about technology simply BS their way past the city council in order to push lucrative contracts to their friends?"
So far, it looks like the city council has allowed staff to BS them, pretty much every step of the way. So far, it looks like the city council has not been able to, or not wanted to ask questions of what has been put in front of them to vote on. Well, beside the really lame questions that don't amount to anything.
Cronyism? In Port Angeles?
contracts are awarded because of who people are related/married to.
http://www.cpifiber.com/about.html
Note: Bill Roberds
Then look at the city of Port Angeles administration: http://www.cityofpa.us/CommEconAdmin.htm
See anything fishy? Anyone with the same last name?
I don't think the city is "unfriendly" to business. It's just unfriendly to anyone making any money that doesn't involve several key people in town, and anyone who hasn't lived here for two or three generations.
the joke of this wireless project is that it would give "free" wireless for one hour a day. Sure it will. It's a way for the city to snag a grant and shove that into the general fund.
It's a way for the city to snag a grant and shove that into the general fund.
1:39 PM, December 27, 2011
Close. Not sure it is EVER intended for the general fund. It is more of the same pattern where selected people are the beneficiaries of taxpayer money they get doled their way through contracts in the name of these grants.
It would be very interesting to look at how much money over the last 10 years has come to the circle of the right people, under what circumstances. Like this one, "free Wi-Fi" for an hour a day? Is that what the grant intended? Were the grant givers aware? Or were they fed a line of BS.
read the article, it's not a secret: http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20111220/NEWS/111229997
lets see the highlights:
The agreements award a $2.5 million installation contract to CPI of Port Angeles; a $28,383 annual network management contract, which also includes maintenance estimated at $4,560 a year to CPI; and a non-exclusive retail agreement with OlyPen to provide Internet service to customers.
OlyPen plans to charge between $17.95 and $37.95 per month for access, depending on speed, which will range from 1.5 to 6 megabits per second.
One-hour free access will be offered every day. Access will also be free for 24 hours 12 days a year. Those days are yet to be determined.
geee...wonder who benefits here?
geee...wonder who benefits here?
4:10 PM, December 27, 2011
Us, the taxpayers! Of course, because we're paying for it.
Why is this country in debt?
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