For the first few years, the public equated the Internet with wires -- you needed that strand of copper to make it happen. The evolution of Wi-Fi means the Web, and information in general, is no longer tied to a wire, and nor are we when accessing information. It can be done anywhere, in theory at least.
This is all obvious stuff, but what isn't so obvious is how government, especially local government, can take advantage of Wi-Fi.
As people experience just how cool Wi-Fi can be, and the demand for Wi-Fi hotspots grows, the question becomes how to make those hotspots happen. Jacksonville, Fla., pioneered one approach with its JaxWIZ -- a free wireless Internet zone created in 2001 to cover a few blocks of retail, restaurant and other entertainment venues all located on Jacksonville's downtown riverfront.
The city subsequently expanded JaxWIZ to community centers in low-income neighborhoods, so residents could take advantage of the free service to access the Internet in their homes. Currently Jacksonville has six such zones working, three of which were added in December 2003, and plans to have a total of 10 up and running by 2005. The Mayor's Office and the City Council currently fund the JaxWIZ initiative.
This all didn't just happen. It took planning. It took wheeling and dealing with partners from the private sector. It took imagination. It took patience. Though the JaxWIZ is designed to bridge the digital divide, other cities are experimenting with models to make wireless Internet access stimulate downtown areas.
Investing money in creating Wi-Fi hotspots or wireless Internet zones is a tough call for city governments. Where will the money come from? How will this benefit the city? Why should the city spend money on something that seems marginally frivolous? What good is it to the city if somebody can sit in a coffee shop downtown and check e-mail or read The Onion wirelessly?
Residents of two distinctly different cities -- Mount Airy, N.C. (Andy Griffith's hometown and the inspiration for Mayberry in The Andy Griffith Show), and Austin, Texas, -- have one thing in common. They can go downtown and use free Wi-Fi hotspots to wirelessly access the Web in a variety of businesses.
Despite the hotspots' creation being as different as the towns, one thing is the same: The people behind the projects ardently believe in Wi-Fi's potential. They believe their cities' downtown areas need hotspots to thrive and prosper.
Time will tell if they're right.
