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Portland ponders offering wireless Internet access-McDonald’s to Offer Wireless Internet

When it comes to wireless Internet access, first place isn’t good enough for some Portland city leaders.

Portland recently earned the title of "most unwired city" in a nationwide survey commissioned by Intel. But some want everyone in the city to have WiFi Internet access, even if it means government intervention.

JEFFREY KOSSEFF The Oregonian

Quietly floating around City Hall is the idea of the city operating such a system, which provides wireless Internet access to anyone with a laptop computer and the proper equipment. Proponents tout the plan as an inexpensive economic development tool. But some say that, with tight government budgets, the city shouldn’t be spending money on cool technology.

"There is a real potential benefit to the downtown," said Marshall Runkel, an aide to City Commissioner Erik Sten. "If you talk to people who own hotels, more and more they’re seeing on their comment cards, ‘If you don’t have WiFi, we’re not coming back to your establishment.’ "

Runkel began researching the possibility of municipally supported WiFi six months ago, when he was approached by Nigel Ballard, a board member of Personal Telco, a grass-roots community group that promotes the technology.

Members of Personal Telco broadcast their Internet connections to anyone with a laptop or personal handheld device equipped with a wireless ethernet radio. Popular Personal Telco spots include Pioneer Courthouse Square and the South Park Blocks. Speeds can be several times those of cable modems and digital-subscriber-line connections.

Users must be within a few blocks of the transmitters, though, creating spotty coverage. Personal Telco envisions a cloud of free WiFi access hovering over all of Portland.

That’s where the city comes in, Ballard said.

Fiber-optic network Ballard said Portland could use its internal fiber-optic network, which runs throughout the city, to transmit WiFi. Every few blocks, the city would need to install "access points," which transmit the Internet connections. Each access point would cost at least a few hundred dollars.

Ballard said the city project could create a cloud first over downtown Portland and later over the entire Portland area.

"The cost isn’t huge because the network is already there," Ballard said.

And Intel, the state’s largest private employer, has been investing in the technology and is rolling out chipsets with WiFi capability. Ballard said organizers could try to solicit a donation from Intel.

Intel is willing to consider the plan.

"It’s certainly an intriguing idea, but we would need a lot more information to determine whether Intel’s involvement is appropriate," said Bill MacKenzie, an Intel spokesman.

Jim Johnson, vice president of Intel Communications Group, said more college campuses and businesses are rolling out WiFi.

"I absolutely see it enabling people to do more productive work," said Johnson, general manager of the company’s wireless networking group.

Some cities, such as Long Beach, Calif, have partnered with other groups to provide WiFi. Johnson said Personal Telco and the city need to figure out how to make the system financially viable.

"The vision’s good, but they would have to agree on what their business objectives are," Johnson said.

Benefits versus costs Convincing others of those objectives might be tough. The Portland Development Commission says the benefits of WiFi might not outweigh the costs.

"There are really many more projects on the PDC’s budget than we have money to fund," said Bob Alexander, the agency’s senior business economic-development manager. "WiFi is an infrastructure item, but it’s not going to make or break any company’s decision to come here."

Ballard said he would support a municipal network only if public access was free.

Runkel, the Sten assistant, said he has not developed a plan and is simply evaluating potential ways to increase WiFi access.

"If there’s a way the city can assist private companies or nonprofits to deploy it, the city should do anything it can do," he said.

But he acknowledged that WiFi isn’t the only thing on the city’s agenda.

"It’s tough to think about bold new projects in the budget environment we’re in now," Runkel said. "We’re trying to keep our eye on the ball and be much more focused on what we do about people who are losing their houses."

http://www.oregonlive.com/business/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/business/1047387410208050.xml

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McDonald’s to Offer Wireless Internet

By JIM KRANE
AP Technology Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Would you like super-sized Internet access with that burger and fries? In a further sign of the spread of wireless Internet technology, McDonald’s restaurants in three U.S. cities will offer one hour of free high-speed access to anyone who buys a combination meal. Ten McDonald’s in Manhattan will begin offering wireless WiFi, or 802.11b, Internet access on Wednesday, McDonald’s spokeswoman Lisa Howard said.

By year’s end, McDonald’s will extend the access to 300 McDonald restaurants in New York City, Chicago and a yet-unannounced California town, Howard said.

"You can come in and have an extra value meal and send some e-mail," Howard said. Window signs will alert customers to the restaurants with WiFi access, she said.

Besides McDonald’s, Internet surfers will also be able to tote their laptops to 400 U.S. Borders book stores, hundreds of hotels and a pair of U.S. airports where WiFi access will be available by summer, companies announced Monday.

And computer maker Toshiba and chipmaker Intel say they’ll set up wireless "hot spots" in coffee shops, hotels and convenience stores across the United States.

For those who roost with their laptops in McDonald’s, Internet surfing could affect the waistline.

After using the hour of free access that comes with a meal, customers can pay $3 for another hour online – or simply buy another extra value meal, Howard said. The pilot program lasts for three months, she said.

Cometa Networks, a startup working to offer WiFi connections in businesses across the country, will provide the Internet bandwidth for the offer.

McDonalds’ announcement coincides with several related WiFi developments timed to coincide with the Wednesday release of Intel Corp.’s Centrino microprocessor.

The Centrino chip, tailored for laptop computers, contains a built-in WiFi transceiver that allows Internet access at speeds of up to 11 megabits per second, far faster than dial-up connections. More than a dozen computer makers will introduce new Centrino-based laptops on Wednesday.

Hilton, Mariott, Sheraton, Westin and W hotels will tout wireless access points in hundreds of hotels in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany.

And access will also be extended to passenger lounges at the airports in Dallas-Fort Worth and San Francisco, Intel said.

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MCDONALDS_INTEL?SITE=CODEN&SECTION=BUSINESS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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