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City sets Jan. 2 deadline for Wi-Fi plan proposals
print this articleThe City of Chicago is moving ahead with plans to establish a wireless broadband network throughout the city.
Private firms interested in building such as system, popularly called
Wi-Fi, have until Jan. 2 to submit proposals. It likely will take
months of evaluation before the city selects a vendor or negotiates a
deal.
Representatives of several dozen vendors, including AT&T Illinois, Cisco Systems Inc., IBM Corp., Motorola Inc. and Nortel Networks Corp., attended a meeting held by the city in October to discuss its Wi-Fi project.
The city recently responded to several questions about its request for proposals, which spells out some details of what it expects from the wireless network.
For one thing, the network's signals should reach the perimeter rooms of more than 550,000 buildings throughout the city. The city doesn't expect to place equipment within buildings to boost the signals, so, presumably, someone who wanted to log on to the Internet from deep inside his house would buy a receiver to place near a window to relay the signal through the dwelling.
Also, bidders can count on using some 90,000 city-owned light poles to place their antennas. They also can use the horizontal arms holding lights that extend out from poles owned by utility companies, but if they plan on using utility-owned poles themselves to hold equipment, they will need permission from the owner.
The city won't provide an exclusive arrangement with the winning bidder, so multiple vendors of broadband wireless are a possibility, if not a likely one.
Some other details are spelled out, but many are not, making the request somewhat open-ended. Who may build a wireless network and the terms of service to be offered should become clearer sometime next year.
Copyright 2006, Chicago Tribune
Bids sought for citywide wi-fi service
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall ReporterChicagoans may someday be able to access the Internet no matter where they are -- indoors or outdoors -- thanks to a long-awaited competition launched Tuesday that could be a gold mine for taxpayers.
After more than a year of study that included City Council hearings, the Daley administration finally issued a "request for proposals" that invites technology companies to describe how they would build an $18.5 million wireless Internet access system that would extend into Chicago's poorest communities.
Chicagoans already enjoy free wi-fi access at libraries and popular public places such as Millennium Park, the Cultural Center and Daley Center Plaza. Interested bidders must build on that network by creating "hot spots" in Chicago Public Schools, on the museum campus and along the lakefront.
Determined to bridge the digital divide, Mayor Daley also demanded that Chicago's private-sector partner make a "financial commitment" to "digital inclusion programs." They include affordable computers and software programs and computer training aimed at the estimated 22 percent of all households that remain without a connection to the Internet and its boundless possibilities.
'We'll be the first major city' top
Responses are due back in four months, and Daley has asked former chief of staff Julia Stasch to chair an advisory panel to evaluate competitors for the 10-year contract. Once a winner is chosen, the system is expected to take roughly 18 months to install.
"We'll be the first major city to move ahead in [bridging] this digital divide. No other city has done that in America," Daley said.
At a news conference at Al Raby School, the mayor argued that the "21st century economy" demands universal access to computer technology. "China, India and Japan know that the way to grow their economy is to invest in technology, and we have to keep pace. . . . The United States has some of the most advanced computer technology in the world. The problem is, not everyone has access to it. In technology, as in too many other areas of our society, there's a wide gap between the haves and have-nots," the mayor said.
Chief Information Officer Hardik Bhatt said the city's goal is to create an alternative broadband service that competes with cable, DSL and cell phone-based wireless service and, therefore, drives down costs. In exchange for paying Chicago a sizeable monthly fee and, possibly, a share of revenues, a technology company or group would install, maintain and upgrade roughly 7,500 small antennae on streetlight poles every one and a half to two blocks, at a cost of roughly $18.5 million. If additional antennae are needed, City Hall could provide that, too.
New revenue for city top
The new system would give Chicago a sorely needed revenue stream -- and carry benefits far beyond the tens of millions it would raise. Instead of racing over to Starbucks to get wireless access from your laptop or paying a monthly fee to the phone company to get it at home, the Internet would be available almost anywhere in the city. The winning bidder would provide access to the network "on a wholesale basis to multiple and competing retail service providers" who would market services to residents and businesses.
"We want to make sure that it's either no-cost or low-cost affordable. . . . It should be less than what you're paying right now," Bhatt said.
"You've seen how competitive prices are right now in the market," said Ald. Marge Laurino (39th), who co-chaired City Council hearings on the wi-fi issue. "You can pick something up for $14.95 a month. We're looking for something, maybe in that range. But there could be areas free of charge, including industrial corridors."
City documents state Chicago is "not mandating a free solution, but is interested in creative pricing models promoting availability." City Hall will consider "responsible proposals, such as those that support the operation of the network through advertising or other revenue-generating models," the documents state.
Still unclear is whether residents of Chicago's many brick buildings would need to install special antennae inside their homes to access the Internet and, if so, at what cost.
Companies invited to bid on providing high-speed service
By Gary WashburnTribune staff reporter
Published May 31, 2006
City Hall will seek proposals from private companies to extend high-speed wireless Internet service to all Chicago neighborhoods at little or no cost to consumers, Mayor Richard Daley announced Tuesday.
Exactly how the Wi-Fi system would be installed, how its benefits would be extended even to the city's poorest areas and how the system would provide profits for the company that operates it will be up to the firms that respond, officials said.
"We're fortunate that the United States has some of the most advanced computer technology in the world," Daley said. "The problem is, not everyone has access to it. ... There's a wide gap between the haves and have-nots."
The City Council has been studying the possibility of Wi-Fi installation for more than a year.
"From the beginning, there was a concern that Wi-Fi technology should be shared with the most underserved of our city's population," said Ald. Margaret Laurino (39th), chairman of the council's Economic, Capital and Technology Development Committee.
"Our goal was to get this into neighborhoods from Albany Park to Hegewisch, to Garfield Park and Austin," said Laurino, who appeared with Daley at a West Side news conference. "We didn't need to worry about Michigan Avenue and Lincoln Park."
Besides being required to provide a system that reaches every neighborhood and all public schools, bidders also must make a financial commitment to providing access to such things as affordable computers and computer-training programs, officials said.
Most computer users connect to the Internet by wires--telephone, cable or to satellite dishes--in their homes and offices, and they pay a fee for the service.
Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity, permits computers to connect by way of radio signals.
The city would offer public infrastructure, most commonly light poles, to a winning bidder that would install hundreds of antennas throughout Chicago. The company could make money by selling its service to users above a specified income level and to City Hall for a variety of governmental uses. It could also sell advertising that would appear on users' computer screens.
"I think Chicago can expect a decent response, probably a combination of national and local" vendors, said Steven Titch, telecom analyst for the Heartland Institute.
Though no big city has launched Wi-Fi yet, Titch said that Philadelphia is close to going forward after approving a contract with EarthLink. Service is scheduled to begin next year.
Other deals are in the works in San Francisco, Anaheim and Portland, Ore., Titch said.
The cost of installation and the number of antennas required would depend on the type of system and equipment selected by the bidder, said Hardik Bhatt, the city's chief information officer.
Officials in the past have estimated that citywide installation would require about 7,500 antennas and cost $18.5 million.
The quality of responses from companies, expected in about four months, will determine whether the city awards a contract.
Chicago already has free wireless Internet access at 79 Chicago Public Library locations. Other public "hot spots" include Daley Plaza, the Chicago Cultural Center and Millennium Park.
Statement From Alderman Margaret Laurino (39th) Regarding Broadband Internet Service For Chicago
The real benefit of a technology is how it serves society as a whole, not just the wealthy or the techie whose laptop and latest gadgets can get them a signal anytime they're within sight of a Starbucks.Last year, Alderman Ed Burke and I formed the Chicago Wireless Task Force, which had representatives from the business, non-profit and educational communities.
We held neighborhood hearings throughout the city last summer and several themes emerged. From the beginning, there was a concern that Wi-Fi technology should be shared with the most underserved of our city's population. Although high speed Internet access is available in many parts of the city, it does not reach to all communities. Our goal was to get this into neighborhoods from Albany Park to Hegewisch, to Garfield Park and Austin. We didn't need to worry about Michigan Avenue and Lincoln Park.
In the past ten years, access to the internet has gone from being a luxury to a basic need. Today, it's is nearly impossible to be employed without at least basic computer literacy skills. Access to the internet will raise workforce skills and help prepare Chicago children for jobs in a global economy.
In addition, this project has the potential to spur economic development in Chicago. Small companies rely on the internet to conduct business.
Inclusion of ALL Chicago and its neighborhoods is the heart of providing Wi-Fi for the city in a 21st Century world. I thank Mayor Daley for his leadership and Chicago's CIO Hardik Bhatt for his hard work on this project.
Chicago Community Wireless Network RFP
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Mayor Richard M. Daley announced a plan today to provide affordable broadband Internet service to all Chicagoans and to make computers more widely available to low-income residents.
The Mayor announced the City is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking private-sector partners to provide Internet access throughout the city, including free wireless service in schools, parks and major public places.
He also offered $250,000 in grants to help community groups come up with innovative ways to help close the digital divide, and he appointed an advisory panel to make further recommendations on the issue.
"In the 21st century economy, everyone needs to have access to computer technology to succeed in life. Computer literacy is a fundamental skill in the modern world," Daley said at a news conference at Al Raby School for Community and Environment, 3545 W. Fulton St.
"We're fortunate that the United States has some of the most advanced computer technology in the world. The problem is, not everyone has access to it.
"In technology, as in too many other areas of our society, there's a wide gap between the haves and have-nots. It's known as the digital divide - and the people on the wrong side of the divide generally have lower incomes and less education."
According to one estimate, even though Internet use has been on the rise among most Americans, 80 percent of households with incomes below $50,000 remain unconnected.
The Mayor noted that Chicago leads many other cities in making modern technology available across the city.
Chicago is the first big city to have free wireless Internet access throughout its public library system. Other public "hot spots" include Millennium Park, the Cultural Center and Daley Plaza.
The Chicago Public Schools have invested more than $600 million in technology infrastructure since 1995. They provide Internet access in every school and have more than doubled the number of school computers since 2003, lowering the student-to-computer ratio from 10 to 1 to 7 to 1. More than 80 percent of elementary schools and 92 percent of high schools have Internet access in every classroom, laboratory and library.
"But there is more to be done to assure that everyone in our city has the same access to modern, affordable Internet technology," the Mayor said.
Under the Mayor's plan, the City would partner with a private firm or consortium to develop and deploy a high-speed, wireless network.
The City would offer the long-term use of its infrastructure, such as street lights and lamp poles. If necessary, the City would broker agreements with its sister agencies and local utilities to use their infrastructure, as well.
The City's private-sector partner or partners would be expected to provide:
- Affordable, universal Internet access. Chicago's wireless broadband network must reach every neighborhood * and offer free or low-cost service to every Chicagoan.
- Free access in the Chicago Public Schools. Building on the success of the free wireless "hot spots" in all 79 Chicago Public Library branches, the new network must include similar "hot spots" in all public schools and ensure that schools have modern computers and applications.
- Free access in parks and other public places. High-traffic public areas, such as Chicago's lakefront, Museum Campus and popular parks and other neighborhoods destinations in the will also be candidates for free access to the new network.
- Affordable computers and meaningful applications. Closing the Digital Divide means more than just free or low-cost access to the Internet. It also means access to affordable computers, meaningful software programs and computer training programs. Chicago's private-sector partner must make a financial commitment to these types of digital inclusion programs.
Daley also announced the formation of an advisory council chaired by Julia Stasch, Vice President of the Program on Human and Community Development of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The group will recommend ways to use technology to improve classroom learning and to connect Chicago's poor and working families to broader economic and educational opportunities.
The Mayor commended Aldermen Edward M. Burke (14th) and Margaret Laurino (39th), who formed a task force which held public hearings on this issue, and who sponsored the legislation authorizing the RFP being issued today.
"When we make modern computer and Internet technology available across Chicago, we are giving every person in Chicago the same chance for a good life," Daley said. "We're improving our children's education. We're working to end poverty. We're creating a more modern, sophisticated workforce. And, most important, we're creating hope and opportunity."
Voice of the People (Letter): Sharing Wi-Fi
Ald. Margaret Laurino (39th), Chairman, Committee on Economic,, Capital and Technology Development, Co-chair, Chicago Wireless Task Force, Chicago Tribune
March 4, 2006
Tribune staff reporter Jon Van's recent articles on Wi-Fi adequately covered the technical aspects of providing a wireless network for the City of Chicago ("It's a Wi-Fi kind of town; Chicago seeks proposals for citywide Internet access," Page 1, Feb. 17, and "Plentiful Wi-Fi presence could obstruct city's wireless quest," Business, Feb. 21).
The heart of the broadband coverage, however, was lacking in the Tribune's stories.
The real benefit of a technology is how it serves society as a whole, not just business, the wealthy or the techie, whose laptop and latest accoutrements can get him or her a signal anytime he or she is within sight of a Starbucks. Although broadband Internet access is currently available in many parts of the city, it does not reach all communities.
Furthermore it does not appear that many of these economically poor neighborhoods will be linked up anytime soon if left solely to bottom-line-driven business interests.
As chairman of the Chicago City Council's Committee on Economic, Capital and Technology Development, we formed the Chicago Wireless Task Force in 2005.
I serve as a co-chair, along with Ald. Edward Burke (14th).
We held neighborhood hearings last year and several themes emerged.
Among them was that the city needed to address issues more than simply providing access to broadband Internet. We had to consider the affordability and utility of it to low-income consumers.
From the beginning, there was a concern that Wi-Fi technology should be shared with the most underserved of our city's population.
Our goal was to get this into neighborhoods like Englewood and Austin.
We didn't need to worry about Michigan Avenue and Lincoln Park.
Based on the hearings and research, the task force is advancing its first recommendation, a request for proposals to equipment suppliers and service providers.
We are also on record as saying we want the strategy to promote access to affordable broadband for all communities, including the underserved. Inclusion of all Chicago and its neighborhoods is the heart of providing Wi-Fi for the city in a 21st Century world.
Aldermen Propose Moving Forward With Bold Plan to Build a Citywide Wireless System
Following months of public hearings, the City of Chicago should solicit bids from the private sector to build a citywide wireless network, Alderman Margaret Laurino, Alderman Edward M. Burke, and Alderman Manuel Flores said today.
Aldermen Laurino, Burke, and Flores introduced for consideration to the City Council an order that would direct the city's Department of Business and Information Systems to issue a "request for proposal" for the project by early 2006.
When completed, Chicago's network could become the nation's largest. If the city goes forward within a timely period, it is estimated that ground could be broken as soon as next year.
The push by Council members to take the next step comes just after the city's Wireless Task Force, chaired by Alderman Laurino and Alderman Burke, completed the final in a series of four public hearing which solicited input from residents, academics and business leaders from across the city.
The city's blue-ribbon panel sought public input on plans to build a multi-million dollar, publicly-owned, but privately operated, wireless system which would allow computer users across Chicago to operate their laptop much like a cordless telephone without wires. The system would also allow Chicagoans and businesses to avail themselves of broadband/high-speed internet access.
Completion of the high-tech system would rely upon the strategic placement of hundreds of so-called "access point" atop of building and light posts across Chicago. The City is seeking to enter into a long-term agreement which would provide for a private sector company to assume the costs of constructing and operating the multi-million dollar high-tech system.
In turn, the company selected by the city would recover the construction and operational costs by receiving the bulk of the revenue generated by the system. For the City's part, it would also receive a smaller portion of the revenue and not have to assume the financial burden of building or operating a wireless internet system. As part of any such franchise agreement, the city would seek to hammer out an accord with the franchisee which would guarantee low-cost wireless internet service to the public across Chicago.
Last month, the City of Philadelphia selected Atlanta-based EarthLink to implement a 135-mile citywide network across that municipality, a project which is expected to be completed by late 2006. Milwaukee has also announced plans to build a citywide wireless network and dozens of similar systems are being considered across the country by San Francisco, Houston, Portland, Minneapolis, Sacramento and New Orleans.