MetroFi’s “free” Portland WiFi network is getting a snarky review in today’s Oregonian.
Next week the city gets the results from the new system’s first performance review. Ha! A news hook. And the park, eh? Nice!
Hey, boss, here’s a story idea: An ode to the wireless node. The headline? In spring, a young person’s fancy turns to laptops.
Above a bench in the South Park Blocks, green leaves erupt from a cathedral of trees. Alas, the “MetroFi free” signal in the upper right corner of the laptop screen barely buds. “The connection was interrupted.” What connection?
Well, the MetroFi map shows Wi-Fi antennae popping up all over. On paper, a green circle, denoting a free-Internet wave, washes over Nancy Mattson’s favorite Eastbank Esplanade bench. “This is the first time this year that I’ve come here,” Mattson says, watching gulls bob in the Willamette River. “It’s perfect.”
Yeah, except for the Internet reception. Nothing but error messages.
At Southeast 19th Avenue and Alder Street, a boy digs the dirt in front of a Victorian. DC Donohue, who runs a day care, watches from the porch. “Sometimes, his father drops him off early so he can use the free Internet,” she says.
From the front steps, overlooking the day’s sidewalk drawings, MetroFi comes alive — barely. Web pages struggle to materialize. Four months after its launch, Portland’s “Wi-Fi cloud” isn’t exactly raining data . . .
Last week, Personal Telco Found Portland WiFi Coverage was Lacking. Next week the official study is due.
You’ve been warned.
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