Wireless to Go:
Portland Community College has wireless computers available for anyone for use in the library. Starting April 1st, you can roam anywhere in the building. The library uses a scanner system to prevent thefts.
Seattle’s Best Coffee at Portland State provides free 802.11b access AND will loan you a FREE Sony wireless laptop. Seattle’s Best coffee shop is located at the end of the Portland Streetcar Line, 1100 SW 6th (503-224-4001).
PSU’s Wireless network (PubNet), is now available in; Science Building 2 (1st and 2nd floors), Millar Library ( Basement, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors), Park Blocks (between Cramer Hall and Neuberger Hall), Cramer Hall (north-east corner, on the basement and 1st floor), Smith Memorial Center (1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors of Smith Memorial Center (except Library East), Graduate School of Education (3rd floor), Urban Center Building (2nd floor). To use it, you need to be a student with an Odin account. Their SSID is pubnet.pdx.edu.
All this begs the question; how many weeks before someone provides a fee-based wireless backbone down 5th and 6th. Walk up to the top floor of the College of Urban Affairs (above PSU’s bookstore) and you get a straight shot down 5th. The ajoining Distance Learning Center has a straight shot down 6th Avenue. A possible scenario would be Voicestream offering PSU $3000/month to mount a 802.11b antenna on the school’s roof. It might compete with an interfering, CDMA, 2.4Ghz backbone by Qwest and Navini feeding Intel APs at storefronts. Will they cancel each other out AND waste millions in court? Could happen.
Free, continuous public internet access might be provided up and down 5th and 6th by a 5 Ghz channel. Can a few idealistic individuals overcome multi-million dollar telecommunications firms and lobbists? The Revolution ALWAYS starts with a few idealistic individuals. But the window may close forever in 6 months.
Perhaps the City of Portland should provide an “open access” system, providing equitable access to the 5 Ghz backbone by multiple providers.
.gif)
