Each year the Wireless Internet Institute (W2i) awards cities and communities holds an annual Best Practices Award ceremony. It pays tribute to local governments and supporting organizations implementing broadband-wireless solutions for cities, counties and regions.
The 3rd Annual Convention, held in Washington, DC earlier this month, awarded the City of Minneapolis and their Wireless Minneapolis network the Digital Cities Best Practices award for e-Government Applications. The wireless network, powered by BelAir Networks, was awarded the honor in part because of its usefulness in supporting the emergency response following the I-35W Bridge collapse in August 2007.
The City of Minneapolis awarded US Internet to build and operate a 60-square-mile broadband wireless network, covering the entire city. BelAir Networks supplied the mesh networking solution with Siemens, Ecutel, and Aptilo Networks subcontractors.
“Wireless Minneapolis,” (FAQ) provides consumers with 1 to 3 Mbps speeds for $19.99 a month, guaranteed for 10 years. The collapse of 35 W bridge in August dramatized the utility of the network this August. Emergency crews across the city were able to zoom, pan and tilt to see how to best respond. The 4.9 GHz portion on the network provided high capacity, on-scene networking for a variety of applications such as downloading maps and charts as well as providing sensor networking.
“The Wireless Minneapolis network has proved its worth, even before its completion,” said Mayor R.T. Rybak. “When the bridge fell, it was an invaluable tool for emergency responders to share information. We know that as the network rolls out around the city, one of its most powerful uses will be in enhancing public safety.”
In the category of e-Government Applications, there were two winners:
- Minneapolis, which was represented by Lynn Willenbring, Chief Information Officer
- Gangnam District in Seoul, represented by Yu Joong Ju, Won Suk Yang, Kyung Ah Lee.
The City of Houston received an Honorable mention, Singapore — Wireless@SG, — won in the category of Economic Development and Macedonia Connects received an Honorable Mention.
Winning in the category of Community Momentum Building was Yuma, Arizona while the winner in the category of Digital Inclusion was Greene County, North Carolina, and its Beyond Tobacco program.
The international jury includes representatives from the United States (including the National League of Cities) Europe and Latin America, and has developed a platform to review and evaluate submissions based on the best practices, and to elevate those projects deserving of widespread emulation:
The Minneapolis wi-fi network should be financially self-sustaining by February, reports the Star Tribune. The network will be able to fund its operations from customer fees for Internet access when US Internet signs 10,000 customers, said Joe Caldwell, the company’s marketing vice president. US Internet had more than 5,000 customers in early November, and has more than 7,000 people registered for service when it becomes available, Caldwell said.
So far the wi-fi network is available to about 30 percent of the city’s households. The latest construction estimates are that the network should be completed throughout Minneapolis by late January or early February; an earlier estimate of Jan. 2, mentioned in Wednesday’s Star Tribune, proved to be too optimistic, he said.
The operating portion of the network recently was tested by Novarum, an Ohio firm hired by US Internet’s wi-fi equipment supplier, BelAir Networks of Canada. While the full test results haven’t been released yet, “we had a favorable impression of the Minneapolis wi-fi network,” said Phil Belanger, Novarum’s chief marketing officer. Belanger, who once was BelAir’s chief marketing officer, now is a partner in the independent testing organization.
