Philly CIO Blasts Opponents of Muni WiFi

February 14, 2005

In an article appearing on News.com, Dianah Neff, CIO for the City of Philadelphia,�speaks out in response to critics of the city's plans to create a city-wide WiFi network (see Hands off our Wi-Fi Network!)

More specifically, Neff lambastes the ILECS, whom she credits chiefly for the opposition to the City's wireless broadband�project, expected to be operating by summer of 2006.

Neff argues that the profit-making ILECs have a disincentive to provide broadband services to underserved populations and that a public project to take on this task is entirely appropriate.

In her article, Neff says:

"When was the last time they were elected to determine what is best for our communities? If they're really concerned about what is important to all members of the community, why haven't they built this type of network that meets community needs or approached a city to use their assets to build a high-speed, low-cost, ubiquitous network?

"For all the money they've spent lobbying against municipal participation, they could have built the network themselves. The truth, of course, is that the incumbent local exchange carriers want unregulated monopolies over all telecommunications."

For an opposing viewpoint, see David Smirk's response to Neff:

Citywide Wi-Fi? Sounds great. But what is the REAL story?

Smirk maintains that WiFi is not really suited to this kind of city-wide deployment and that city governments do not have the requisite expertise for providing this kind of service. He feels that cellular companies are the entities that should be providing wireless broadband in cities. Smirk makes this breathtaking recommendation:

"If you really want wireless broadband, support your cellular company!� The cellular companies are taking huge (financial) risks trying to build it as fast as they can!� And you can help!�Ask the FCC to lower the cost of licenses!�And ask your city to get rid of their ridiculous zoning limitations on cellular!�Give the cities "eminent domain" rights so they can put antennas where they need them, like the phone and electric companies have always had!"

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AB -- 2/14/05

Related Tags: wireless broadband, network, broadband, cellular, Smirk, really