MESSAGE
| DATE | 2006-06-06 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
|
| SUBJECT | Subject: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] [bruce.lai@council.nyc.ny.us: New York Times Editorial Supports for Universal Wi-Fi to Conquer Digital Divide in NYC.]
|
----- Forwarded message from Bruce Lai -----
Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2006 18:48:38 -0400
From: Bruce Lai
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To: undisclosed-recipients: ;
Subject: New York Times Editorial Supports for Universal Wi-Fi to Conquer
Digital Divide in NYC.
Hello
All,
I just wanted to send along this amazing editorial that the NY Times
published today.
Regards,
Bruce
*****
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/06/opinion/06tue3.html?ex=1150257600&en=c37853eee83da5ef&ei=5070&emc=eta1
Editorial
Wi-Fi and the Cities
Published: June 6, 2006
No fewer than 300 cities and towns around the nation have taken wireless
Internet access, or Wi-Fi, to the people. San Francisco's aim is to make
the entire city a hot spot, Chicago plans to blanket the city with
access, and large parts of Philadelphia are to go wireless soon. But New
York, which should be leading the way, is dragging. A plan to offer free
Wi-Fi access in city parks has been moving slowly, and a larger vision
has yet to take shape.
Wide dissemination of Wi-Fi is not the future. It is now, needed by
businesses, educators and especially the underserved populations on the
wrong side of the digital divide. Rural communities have known for a
while that going wireless is cheaper, more reliable and allows even the
most remote areas to log in. It spares the expense of laying down
extensive networks of cables, not to mention the work and time involved.
Local governments are filling a leadership void at the federal and state
levels, and they are going directly to providers to negotiate Wi-Fi
deals. San Francisco's mayor has turned to Earthlink and Google.
Earthlink, based in Atlanta, is also helping Philadelphia. In some of
these deals, lower-speed connections are free, with higher speeds
available at a price. The providers also hope to make money off advertising.
Surfing the net in the parks is a modest goal for New York, where some
smaller parks have already been hooked up by agreement between
independent groups managing those parks and NYC Wireless, a nonprofit
organization. The city needs to get moving to get the larger parks
online, but it also has to get serious about wider access. The minimal
goal -- pressed with energy in the City Council by Gale Brewer of
Manhattan -- should be free or low-cost access in its densely populated,
poor neighborhoods in all the boroughs. That is where cable and phone
line options are out of financial reach, and where education especially
suffers as a result.
--
Bruce Lai
Chief of Staff
Office of Council Member Gale A. Brewer
New York City Council
250 Broadway, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10007
E-mail: bruce.lai-at-council.nyc.ny.us
--
PLEASE NOTE THE NEW PHONE NUMBERS
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City Hall: 212.788.6975
Cell: 347.563.1295
Secondary Cell: 917.407.1600
Blackberry: bruce.lai-at-council.nyc.gov
--
District Office: 212.873.0282
Fax: 212.513.7717
----- End forwarded message -----
--
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