$795,000 from the city alone to provide free internet? That could pay for a lotta cops or food for the food bank....

Don't get me wrong, I love the idea but question how wise it is to spend that kind of money right now on a luxury.

I wonder if it will be sub par service like Time Warner's turbo internet? When the kids in the neighborhood get on-line the speed slows to a crawl.

It is really not a luxury anymore its a necessity.

Wonder if Mayor Donny Boy's recall election next Tuesday has anything to do with turning on the switch today?

@grubby, most people would consider internet a necessity now a days.

Grump - I can't wait to see your post on Wednesday when Mayor Donny Boy wins the election.

Such negativity so early in the morning. Because I know someone with One Community I can tell you that this has been scheduled for a long time. So Old Man Grump go find something else to complain about.

This is a total necessity in todays world and those that argue it cost too much or the money would better spent somewhere else simply don't understand the changing world. This is not a luxury this a basic need in Akron.

This is not an entertainment tool it will serve to connect the less fortunate to the internet as an educational tool. Just as important, in the age of Blackberries and I phones this allows the business community total access wherever they may be.

Good for Akron.

@targoz I don't believe OMG was saying anything negative about the concept of WiFi for all, but the timing just days before the recall vote is suspicious.

This is just one of many new projects that just suddenly have come to life and all just prior to the recall vote. If nothing else, one has to give the mayor kudos for working the political system to the hilt.

@Gain Some Reality most people would consider internet a necessity now a days.

I agree that internet access is considered a necessity for a home... but do you consider free downtown wi-fi a necessity or a luxury? In my opinion, it is a luxury. If you want internet, pay for it.

Just think, now OldManGrump won't have to connect with a tin can and a string to type his posts anymore.

Hey - at least Akron is on the cutting edge of something.

@farwestside....this project has been in the works for a long time....this was the intital test date ....there is nothing political about this.

Again, I have a friend that has been working on this project for the better part of a year now. It would wrong to delay the start up because of the recall. One has nothing to do with the other.

Iam sorry but I got to agree with Old man grump! Ever since the recall it seems the beacon has been running pro-mayor don don stories. The way I see it,until crime is addressed akron will be nothing but a dumping ground for rental property,drugs,and idiots like lester.

It's interesting that this "pro Don" story only mentions him once, at the end of the story, and only with respect to an unquoted statement about how "$7.2 billion being set aside nationwide for broadband use and OneCommunity will apply for a large grant." It actually sounds more like Don didn't even have his hands in this one and the ABJ is merely stating that Internet exists downtown. I'm not saying their haven't been a lot more Don-related articles, but I don't think this is one of those articles.

@Common sense Guy,

Makes sense to me

I think the idea of free internet access is great, but if a goal of the project is to "...reach people in the ''digital divide'' who can't afford broadband Internet service", how did they choose their initial geographic location?? It seems we are now offering free internet access to all of the downtown offices, Akron General, Childrens Hopsital, the University of Akron, etc. I don't think any of the above are in the 'digital-divide'.

d

How will free interent stop illegal activity? You can be from out of town, stop on a street and hook up.

@farwest side, this project just did not come to life. I have a friend that has been working towards this goal for some months now. The goal for a while was deploy it before all the downtown summer events occurred.

@The Uncle Ed, I consider it a necessity if you are trying to draw people to an area and/or keep them in that area for activities and events. It is the same reason libraries, hotels, convention centers, and many downtowns have already done this.

@Common Sense Guy, I disagree. The ABJ runs pro-Plusquellic, pro-city, and pro-downtown stories regularly and all year around. People are just paying more attention due to the recall.

I'll only agree that the timin' of this story, right before the recall, has some merit. Other than that, this has been in the works for some time.

I questioned the expense when it was first presented. In the end, this program won out over the city hall hero properly sustainin' city services to the taxpayers.

The foresight of the city hall hero is jes' astoundin'.

I think it is fantastic for the citizens of our city. Thanks to all involved.

The beacon died the day Terry Pluto left anyway!

There is free internet at the library. If you can't afford internet, go there to use it.

Look at the bigger picture. This is the first step in our area to reign in the broadband internet service providers. Right now, we have almost zero choice. We have substandard TWC broadband that costs upwards of $50 a month for decent service that is still filtered. The alternative is DSL which simply cannot provide the bandwidth necessary for quality teleconferencing and real-time access to large data sources on remote servers.

Because of the City's horrible agreement with TWC which grants them a cable monopoly in the city of Akron, we are denied competition from companies like ATT (their cable service, not their phone service), Comcast, WOW, etc. In areas where there is competition (like Cleveland) prices are lower and service is higher than in places where there is no competition (like Akron).

So while it may not be the best use of money considering the crime problems plaguing the city, the sewer problems, the pavement problems, it isn't a horrible step. City funding is a zero-sum game, when you fund one project it invariably denies funding to something else.

At least we'll see some benefit from this project instead of just handing the money to one of the mayor's cronies, and seeing no benefit.

Common Sense Guy, tell that to all the permanent hq and bussiness showing, should i link you to some? Gee, correcting haters isnt even fun anymore, its just a nuisance. So all ya'll bots who are dying with the recall, go have a union in Uniontown. with no free wireless internet.

I agree, it doesn't matter what the city of Akron has to offer, if the violent crime rate continues to rise as it has, no one will take advantage of any of it because they're afraid to come into the city. The mayor had nothing to do with this anyways, it's the University of Akron that is driving the improvements to the city. This article implies that the mayor did. Now all the students who will be moving into the city this fall will take advantage of free internet service and I'm assuming that the university won't have the expense of providing it as Purdue University provided internet service to my daughter when she was there.

The 'underprivileged" that this Wi-Fi installation is supposed to help probably don't have computers anyway and if they do they are either paying for service or pirating their neighbors next door or down the street. If not they could certainly go to the library and use the already "free" computers and internet that our tax dollars have been providing for sometime already.

I can see the benefits in the long run perhaps but right now I think the mayor and city council need to spend some time focussing on crime in Akron. Oh I forgot, wasn't there a recent article that stated that the mayor was going to add more police to the long understaffed APD or did I dream that?

I think this is cool, Thanks guys.

This is bull. I thought the City doesn't have money to repair all our necessities....roads, buildings, sewer systems, etc.... Free wireless internet is not a necessity.

Great for Akron

i thought U of A already had wireless.

more free stuff for the non-working class

oooo I hate to say it, but I will I agree with Old Man Grump. (Steelers still suck though)

Yea they do have wireless, guess they could drop their own wireless expenditures to move over, but then again if they stick with their own wireless, the students won't be contending with traffic from everyone else.

@AkronLaw

DSL provides enough bandwidth for teleconferencing.
DSL and Cable work well in certain applications or situations. I'm a few blocks from the DSL providers office where as someone miles from the provider may get bad service. ATT doesn't have cable service and the City isn't limiting me from getting satiliete....unless that's the reason why they won't repair my road

Cool, now all mobile devices can run off Wi-Fi when around most of central Akron, including downtown. The 3G speeds of Sprint, AT&T and Verizon are laughable, so this doesn't just benefit the "poor." Now I can more quickly post rebuttals to the lying posters that infiltrate this site.

On the bright side, 'akronwatch' can stop posting from SANEO's office and just run off the public wireless connection.

psychoJ: DSL lagged whenever I tried connecting with the Cleveland and Columbus offices of my firm and tried to share evidentiary videos and high-res graphics in real-time. We'd always have to stop, wait, wait some more, and then discuss what we were looking at.

But that's immaterial to the lack of choice. ATT does offer a cable product, it's ATT Uverse. Whether you like it or not, the ability to switch keeps TWC honest. We do have the opportunity to get DISH, but with its long contract length and high set-up fees, it isn't nearly as credible of a negotiating point when working on obtaining cheaper rates with your cable supplier.

I personally like choice and competition. Now I can go home, get on the phone, and tell TWC that I want $10 per month off on my internet bill or I'll simply switch to using the free municipal broadband. They don't know it's an empty threat and that I have no interest in switching, but rest assured, that $8 per hour CSR will find a way to either drop my bill or give me more services without increasing my bill.

My only concern is whether this would motivate all businesses in the vicinity to scrap their pay internet service and hook into the free wi-fi, thus bogging down the system. I wonder how much traffic it will be able to handle.

@Gain Some Reality most people would consider internet a necessity now a days.

I agree that internet access is considered a necessity for a home... but do you consider free downtown wi-fi a necessity or a luxury? In my opinion, it is a luxury. If you want internet, pay for it.

===========
@Fargoz

I know someone with One Community I can tell you that this has been scheduled for a long time.
===========

Yes...

According to the April 10, 2008 article, the "Akron corridor" was to be "up and running by the end of" 2008.

Just another example of an inefficient or uninformed City Hall.


FREE WIRELESS CORRIDOR DOWNTOWN BY END OF YEAR

4/10/2008

When the Akron corridor is up and running by the end of this year, people with wireless-ready computers will be able to tap into the Internet for free within the district.

The district includes downtown, the University of Akron, museums, all three downtown hospitals and neighborhoods in North Hill, East Akron and Highland Square, along with Goodyear and Lockheed Martin, the Helen Arnold School and the Urban League, Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic said.


http://www.downtownakron.com/newsitem/free-wireless-corridor-downtown-by-end-of-year

@fargoz and @GSMO I am not arguing that this project has been in the works.. I am just noting that the timing of the "switch on" is so very convenient to the recall. I doubt you will find any old project calendar with the date of June 19, 2009 as the start date. If you can find such a calendar I will apologize profusely.

Nice that free internet is coming but why start with downtown? If you work there you have internet already through your job. How many people actually LIVE downtown-not too many and I doubt the poor folks that live in the Mayflower or what ever that low income place is even have a computer let alone all the homeless who of course lug around their laptops HA! Why not start in North Hill or Ellet or one the outlaying areas where there would be a need for it. Nice idea wrong location.

It's 2pm and I can't see a signal. Has anyone been able to logon?

I heard it already crashed at 11:15am due to a virus, someone forgot to install the anti-virus protection

oooooh, a half mile gets free wireless. Plusquellic LIED AGAIN! As OTV said above, it was supposed to be the 9 mile radius by the end of 2008.

PLUSQUELLIC PROVES TO BE A PATHELOGICAL LIAR ... again, and again, and again.

Geeze, only an uneducated, uninformed voter would vote for him next Tuesday.

For more of Plusquellic's LIES and his MISMANAGEMENT of the City of Akron, visit:

www.akronwatch.org

www.changeakronnow.com

www.recallmayordon.com


Be INFORMED, be EDUCATED ... vote FOR the RECALL on June 23rd.

RUNUTS,

While the mayors croonies and henchpeople are out smearing Warner, why don't you guy's stoop to Donnies level and call him out? Like cheating on his wife, Hiring his Mistress turned Girlfriend who just so happens to now travel at our expense? I know there has to be a ton of dirt on this scumbag, why not use some of it?

@Fargoz free internet a necessity huh? Can free Wifi give me the nourishment i need to survive. I consider nourishment a neccessity and food provides that.
Can I drink from from free wifi? I as a human am approximately 70% water and NEED water to continue to exist?
Will free internet put a roof over my head? I Need shelter to protect me from the inclimate weather conditions that arise in NE Ohio.
Can free Wifi nurture me and give me guidance as a parent would. I Need affection
So by the grace of God all I NEED to survive is food, water, shelter, and some love. These are the Neccessities of life. I fail to see how free internet is a neccessity for people.

According to STUCKIN, we all need to just live in a cave eating rats.

DDuckster: The Mayor's personal life does not affect the taxpayers and citizens of Akron, except when Don took Melissa on trips, at our expense, and other questionable payments to her.

Change Akron Now focuses on how Plusquellic has driven Akron into the ground financially. The aforementioned websites outline his horrendous job as Mayor of Akron.

Change Akron Now will not stoop to the low, desperate, pathetic level as Plusquellic and his cronies. They have to attack one person, Mendenhall, rather than to answer to the facts presented to recall Plusquellic.


This should encourage all citizens of Akron to vote FOR the RECALL on June 23rd.

RUNUTS says: "only an uneducated, uninformed voter would vote for him (Plusquellic) next Tuesday."

RUNUTS later says: "Change Akron Now will not stoop to the low, desperate, pathetic level as Plusquellic and his cronies."

RUNUTS: "Be INFORMED, be EDUCATED"

Well, maybe you can learn how to post a website address link.

Check out the Clowns

Mall rat,

I like the website. Finally, a website that focuses on facts and not commentary dressed up as facts.

http://threeringcircus.blackapplehost.com/

@AkronLaw, DSL is more than adequate for teleconferences. I have ATT DSL and I get better results in bandwidth and reliability from it than I ever got from TWC. TWC was always down.

@psychoJ, AT&T does have TV service. It is timing to to develop as they are installing new switching points in neighborhoods to support the service.

@farwest side, Process was stated before the recall petitions:
http://www.downtownakron.com/go/knight-center-for-digital-excellence

And the press releases said "early 2009" if funding was all attained. See: http://www.knightcenter.org/FileUploads/Akron%20Wireless%20Project%20Overview.pdf

@olfuzzster, it is easier to start such a program where you have a high concentration of people, easy access to existing infrastructure, and companies & organizations that will contribute to the funding once they see the success. You need to build up buy-in so funding is constant before targeting primarily residential areas.

@RUNUTS, OneCommunity and the Knight Center for Digital Excellence are responsible for this project, not the Mayor. And it was never promised to be in complete and full operation by a certain data. Every press release said "with cooperation from stakeholders and vendors".

I'm curious if the speed will be comparable to regular DSL and how and if it can be used with a desk-top system? All I have right now is a desk-top with ATT DSL service. I could save 20 bucks a month if this free wi-fi is compatible with desk-tops. What will be the download speeds?

==========
@GainSome

OneCommunity and the Knight Center for Digital Excellence are responsible for this project, not the Mayor.
==========

How do you define 'responsible'?

The Mayor committed Akron taxpayers to be the ones who will pick up the largest single share of this project's costs.

City of Akron News Release

April 10, 2008

Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic has signed a memorandum of understanding with OneCommunity and will recommend that City Council approve a five-year commitment of about $800,000 toward the design, deployment, and operation of the network.

-AND-

Akron City Council News - Volume 1, 2009

"Akron’s Wi-Fi project will cost $2.2 million. It is being funded with $795,000 provided by the city"

-AND-

Akron Beacon Journal - April 10, 2008

"the Knight Foundation said it would provide $625,000 of the $2.2 million needed to create the wireless corridor in Akron."

"The University of Akron has pledged another $350,000 to the corridor because the University Park area is part of the district, Plusquellic said."


==========
it was never promised to be in complete and full operation by a certain data.
==========

Both time frame and coverage area were announced:

ABJ coverage and Downtown Akron Partnership "News and Press Release" on April 10, 2008.

"When the Akron corridor is up and running by the end of this year, people with wireless-ready computers will be able to tap into the Internet for free."

"The district includes downtown, the University of Akron, museums, all three downtown hospitals and neighborhoods in North Hill, East Akron and Highland Square, along with Goodyear and Lockheed Martin, the Helen Arnold School and the Urban League, Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic said."

The mayor should've been out there running cable to get this done. This is all his fault... If this would've been done on time what would we have to complain about? I think we should all go to akronwatch that will make it all better.

Please! a lot of you need to seek around the clock medical attention.

Free internet is a good thing and I hope all of Summit County has it one day. It's the timing of the announcement that was pure Akron recall politics at it's best..

If the idea is to give free internet to people who can't afford it, how can they afford a wireless computer?

Hey Grump -

Congratulations on being quoted in this mornings ABJ!

Now you're "OldManGrump, as quoted in the Akron Beacon Journal"

Now I have quotation envy.

franco,

You need wireless card. They make them for desktops.

Ed,

There are notebooks designed mainly for Internet usage that run $200 - $300.

franco,

google "usb wireless adapter."

What there isn't a high population of people in N Hill? Houses are pretty close together there, great that the city wants to bring gree wifi but downtown wasn't the place to do it-the article states that most people will need adapters because it doesn't travel through glass and steel so well. How many actually LIVE downtown-again pretty much NOBODY and if it's free who going to be paying for it-so Gain some your comment doesn't really apply.

Old Man Grump - When I read the other story about the don having a temper tantrum and not showing up for the wwitch flippin'. In the article your comment was quoted about this event happening days before the recall, seems to have hit a nerve with the don. Good job Grump!!!

Go GRUMPY GO!!!! So the Mayor does read these comments-too bad the ABJ didn't sensor every little thing one someone complains-kiss your comment bye bye. Funny too how most of the business that are located downtown already have internet yet hey lets give it to them-wonder how many of THEM donated to the Mayor's recall defense fund-bet not many givers to his fund from South Akron or N Hill so no need to start were some of the poorest folks live-nah makes too much sense

@Overtaxed Voter, do your really not know the difference between "complete" and "up and running". NONE of the press releases said complete coverage by end of 2008 or mid-2009. Matter of fact, they all sending pending support of the finances, he is the goal for coverage.

@olfuzzster, it is amazing how you read things that are not even in the article. The article does NOT say anything about the signal not traveling through glass or steel.

Signal degrades further you get from the transmitters, no matter the materials of construction.

olfuzzster,

The article does NOT say you need an adapter to get a signal indoors due to glass and steel. Come on! You need an adapter period, be it built-in (anything mobile built in the last few years already has it built in) or the USB variety for desktops that cost maybe $20. Once again, your statement is either a lie or a misunderstanding and I won't judge your intent (but I seem to have to say that a lot to you).

===================
@GainSome

NONE of the press releases said complete coverage by end of 2008 or mid-2009.
===================

So?

Yesterday was the launch of "downtown corridor coverage" that was promised to be launched by the end of LAST YEAR.

In April, 2008 the consistent theme in the announcements was "When the Akron corridor is up and running by the end of this year".

Bottom line, it DID NOT happen.


===================
Matter of fact, they all sending pending support of the finances, he is the goal for coverage.
===================

Show me in EITHER of these stories linked below where any mention of "support of the finance" is mentioned concerning the launch of downtown corridor coverage.

http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/17499774.html
http://www.downtownakron.com/newsitem/free-wireless-corridor-downtown-by-end-of-year

@Overtaxed Voter,
I already posted the OFFICIAL announcement that showed the "network is expected to be operational by early 2009" and that "with cooperation from stakeholders".

See: http://www.knightcenter.org/FileUploads/Akron%20Wireless%20Project%20Overview.pdf

Even the city website with its PRESS RELEASE and VIDEO of the press conference does not give the deadline of the "end of 2008". See: http://www.ci.akron.oh.us/News_Releases/2008/0410a.htm

I think I will trust the ACTUAL press releases over the sources you shared that clearly cannot report facts accurately.

@GainSome

I'll stand by the ABJ's and Downtown Akron Partnership's coverage and press release of April 10, 2008.

It's not like a wireless neigh-sayer jumped into a time machine, then whispered 'by the end of 2008' into the ear of Jim Carney (Beacon Journal staff writer) and the DAP press release writer.

The "by the end of 2008" had to come from those making the presentation at the press conference on April 10, 2008.

@Overtaxed Voter, are you really that dense? I gave you the link to the entire LIVE press conference and the OFFICIAL press conferences, and NO where do they use a 2008 date. ABJ took that upon themselves to assign such a date to the project.

In April of 2008, that had not even committed enough project to start so they could not set a timeline that aggressive.

@Overtaxed Voter, by the way, the two sites you linked to share the EXACT same article. One copied the other. That really speak to their creditability. So one provided false information and the other just repeated. Great evidence you provided there.

Yeah you do need an adapter if your laptop isn't already wired-DUH but isn't downtown where most of the people with money work (only some of the biggest lawfirms:Brouse and some of the largest banks-Chase, First merit etc..and I would think most of them who work there would have laptops that have a built in wireless router-my HP is 4 years old and it came with one,also it's common sense you are going to need a booster if you are inside a building with concrete and steel around you-try using a cell phone inside the bottom of the parking deck of the Chase building see how many bars you get and what your recpt. is like. Not good. Again you missed the obvious point-why provide free wi-fi to people who ALREADY have it and again HOW MANY OF THESE PEOPLE GAVE TO THE MAYORS RECALL FUND?? Rather than an area that could really use it-N Hill, Ellet, Goodyear Hts. etc... No I don't live there and my RR works just fine so I don't know what Gain Some problem with his/her is.

@olfuzzster, you clearly do not understand the project. Do some research about OneCommunity and come on back. the press conference in April of 2008 clearly stated how they manage these projects and how they pick the starting point.

These project require a great amount of money, partners, and technology to implement. OneCommunity starts in an area where the infrastructure and money exists and spreads through a community from there. Look at Cleveland as an example. It was the CWRU campus that was the start and it spread. Here is is downtown and it will spread.

I don't know where it is working...not working on Mill St or Bowery st????