The City of Corvaillis, Oregon, home to Oregon State University, activated a Corvallis WiFi network at a “wire cutting” ceremony last April. Mayor Helen Berg cut the symbolic wire on April 19th and Alyrica Free WiFi service begin offering the public free and paid internet access.
Alyrica called it “phase I”, roughly from the city’s waterfront to 5th street between highway 34 and Harrison blvd. Other major business and residential areas of the city in other phases were planned to build out the system
According to the Alyrica’s website, the network will also be available for use by public service vehicles, law enforcement, or even competing providers. If Alyrica sees sites being widely used, the company said they will be made available for free if they are not already.
Apparently the Alyrica system impressed city officials.
This month, sealed proposals for Unwire Corvallis, a Citywide Broadband Wireless System, will be received at the City of Corvallis. The city wants a city area-wide WiMAX/Wi-Fi network (pdf) that will offer broadband wireless Internet access to residential customers, schools, government agencies, outdoor venues, businesses, and visitors to the City of Corvallis and surrounding areas.
The Request for Proposal document may be examined or obtained for no charge prior to 2:00 pm on September 22, 2006, at the City of Corvallis, Finance Department, 500 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97333 or by emailing Unwire@ci.corvallis.or.us or by calling (541) 766-6990.
A mandatory pre-proposal conference will be held 2:00 - 4:00 pm on September 22, 2006, in the Madison Avenue Meeting Room at 500 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97333.
Sealed proposals must be submitted to Robel Tadesse, MIS Manager, City of Corvallis, 500 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97333 no later than 4:00 pm, October 31, 2006. The sealed proposals will be publicly opened and read on October 31, 2006, in the Madison Avenue Meeting Room at 500 SW Madison Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97333 at 4:00 pm.
The City of Corvallis encourages small, minority- and women-owned businesses to submit proposals. For more information, call Robel Tadesse, (541) 766-6990, or TDD/TTY (541) 766-6477.
In related news, Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski announced the distribution of over $7.8 million in federal homeland security grants to upgrade law enforcement communication systems in counties throughout the state (pdf).
Every year, the federal government invites states and counties to request money to help finance homeland security projects, such as updating communication systems. This year, 26 Oregon counties received grant money.
The state received $496,000 in grants to create the Oregon Wireless Interoperability Network (OWIN), a new portable radio system that will help police and emergency responders between Portland and Salem communicate (pdf). The new hardware will be installed at existing tower sites between the two cities.
Here’s a complete list of the Oregon grants (pdf).
DailyWireless has more on The Statewide Interoperabilty Plan, InterOp Takes a Holiday and Wireless Birdhouses.
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