Can Google Jump-Start Muni Wi-Fi?
GigaOm reports that Google's municipal Wi-Fi network has gone live in Mountain View, Ca. following an investment of nearly $1-million. While Google apparently has no intentions of expanding into other markets, it has put the spotlight on the muni Wi-Fi, which is being enthusiastically embraced by cities across North America, including Toronto. The question is if they (including Google) build it, will they come? In other words, does the creation of a wireless network mean it will be used other than by a small group of business people, tourists and geeks? Sure, a muni Wi-Fi network is pretty cheap to roll out but can you get a good return on investment if doesn't get a lot of traffic? Arguably, cities building Wi-Fi have other mandates, some of them have nothing to do with wireless users. Some cities, for example, are simply looking to look cutting-edge so they can attract well-paying high-tech jobs. Others cities have supplementary goals. City-owned Toronto Hydro, for example, which will launch a Wi-Fi network next month, will use wireless technology to read “smart” hydro meters that will be installed in each household - thereby reducing the need and cost of having someone manually read the meter, having the homeowner do it themselves. For the most part, however, many cities will discover their Wi-Fi networks will probably collect a lot of dust but they will probably be enjoyed by the small handful of people who actually use them.
Update: Speaking of Wi-Fi, Boingo has just raised $65-million in new private equity. The round was led by Mitsui & Co. with new investors Mitsui Corporate Development Funds, Steepoint Capital Partners and Red Rock Ventures. Boingo has now raised $95-million from three rounds.
August 16th, 2006 at 9:08 am
has it been announced if the TO wifi project be a paid for service or will it be free? There are already enough people in my building jumping onto unsecured wi-fi “networks” to suggest that pick up would be slightly higher than just tech geeks and tourists…
August 16th, 2006 at 9:43 am
I would have thought you, Mark, would have some imagination on how this could be used. The possibilities are enormous. Don't think of it simply as subscribers opening up their laptops to surf the web. It's much more than that.
What about streetcars, with dynamic advertising on them. When the vehicle is in a nice part of town you could feed ads for BMWs, and in less attractive neighbourhoods, maybe MoneyMart.
You could feed TV over the network too, just TV people could pick up at home or in the office. Then, of course, there's the cell-phone substitution market, and skype phones.
What about the transit authorities? don't they need a better cheaper wireless network to track their assets and cash? and keep the buses running on time?
The possibilties are only limited to ones imagination. And if the network fails, or the business fails it will only be due to a lack of imagination of businesses to understand how to use it.