Wi oh Wi?
The SJ-R tells us that AT&T dropped their plans for city-wide wireless internet access in Springfield. There's one more reason for young people to leave town.
Springfield has a hard time deciding whether it should be a real city or an overgrown farm town. The Chamber of Commerce and local governments are working on the Q5 initiative to expand the local economy by bringing in new businesses and jobs.
If we're going to expand our private sector economy in the area then we need to work on making Springfield a little more appealing to young people and those who want something resembling a metropolitan lifestyle and culture. Building the kind of infrastructure that attracts modern businesses and an educated workforce involves a lot more than new roads and sewers.
That's why talk about making wireless available only to out-of-town visitors in the downtown area misses the point. Its about improving the quality of life for residents and making all of downtown a more appealing place for people to be. Ultimately, all downtown businesses will benefit from free wireless internet available to everyone.
Besides that, my experience has been pretty hit-or-miss when it comes to using wi-fi in downtown businesses that offer it. Too often the service is out and no one on duty knows how to fix it. Having an open system downtown would allow businesses to offer wi-fi without the hassle and expense of managing it on their own.
I hope the news about AT&T is only a setback to city-wide free wireless internet rather than the end of it.