10/7/06 - Mesquite Wi-Fi
Currently there is an idea floating about - the idea that the city of Mesquite wants to bring wireless Internet access to the the Town East corridor.
Sounds simple - Bring wireless internet access to Town East. Personally I like the idea, perhaps after Town East gets Wi-Fi capability the rest of Mesquite will do so also. That would be great.
But, what does it really mean to bring such a project online?
Many of Mesquite residents will probably not understand Wi-fi and its implications. So, I want to try and help the average citizen comprehend this new endeavor undertaken by the city.
First, from what I understand, the city has put this project in the new city budget. I do not know how much they think they will need, but I know that when a municipality bankrolls a wireless network themselves, it is not cheap.
To begin with, cities that build wireless networks create a "cloud" that blankets an area with wireless fidelity, or Wi-Fi. This is a method of transmitting data through high-frequency radio signals. It is widely used in coffee-shops, hotels, and airports.
Wi-fi appeals to people who want access to the Internet using laptops, PDAs or other Wi-fi enabled devices outfitted with a PC card or similar hardware. This allows the device to send and receive data without having to "plug in".
When a city such as Mesquite, builds a network themselves or thru a private-sector partnership, they first build supporting infrastructure to support its wireless cloud, generally radio antennas are mounted on top of traffic lights and lampposts throughout the area to be served. Mesquite may have to partner with TXU on the lampposts, but lets save that problem for another time shall we? The city would also need to get a Internet service provider to help provide the backbone of the service.
Once the city council decides to go forward with this project, the cost could be enormous. To build the Infrastructure alone could run anywhere between $74,000 and $88,000 per sq. mile. In addition, nearly another $5,000 for maintenance, support and other start-up costs could be incurred. Once the network is launched, it could cost as much as $30,000 per sq. mile per year to operate and maintain.
We're only talking the Town East area right now. Yet all of Mesquite would be paying for this service, even our new citizens in Kaufman county, and the expense will only increase if the network were to go citywide.
Now, I do not say this to discourage the idea. I really like this project and will pay my part to get it done. For this is a good idea, and we shouldn't pass it up. I just think the citizens of Mesquite should know that this could be a very expensive proposition.
Sergio Garcia