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Break Free |
Break free, ye wired ones
By ANDY
GIEGERICH Issue date: Tue, Dec 2, 2003
The Tribune
Entrenched at a World Cup Coffee table in the Pearl
District's Ecotrust building, Portland resident Brad
Steck began his journey into the wireless Internet
horizon.
Steck, whose laptop
received an Internet signal from a device attached
outside the coffee shop, spent part of the hour
researching trends for his technology consulting
job. The rest of the time, he watched a live British
Broadcasting Co. video feed.
"This frees me from the desktop chains," he said as
his laptop connected to the Personal Telco
Project-installed Ecotrust node. "I can go into a
number of places now, have tea and do my work
casually."
Steck isn't alone. In Portland, the number of
wireless Internet or "Wi-Fi," short for wireless
fidelity connection spots have mushroomed over the
last few months. The growth is three-pronged: More
service establishments offer Wi-Fi for free; more
offer it for a fee, such as Starbucks; and more
proponents are promoting its cost-free use
throughout the city.
Indeed, it's difficult to tell exactly how many
spots actually do carry it. Blame it on the low cost
-- about $150 -- that enables many low-key
businesses to set up Wi-Fi base stations.
The cost, though, is the reason that smaller
retailers, coffee sellers and otherwise, have now
caught up to such Wi-Fi pioneers as Starbucks. Even
the Tiny-est places such as Tiny's, a popular new
coffee shop at 1412 S.E. 12th Ave. now offer Wi-Fi
access. And whereas Starbucks charges for the
service, Tiny's and its ilk offer it for free.
In that sense, Wi-Fi's new wave closely resembles a
credo espoused by the Portland-based Personal Telco
Project, which has flooded the city with Wi-Fi nodes
over the last three years.
Thanks in part to the Personal Telco group, an Intel
survey identified Portland as "the nation's most
unwired city" based on its estimated number of
access points per capita.
"As with the numbers of strip clubs per capita and
unemployment, we're number one in terms of Wi-Fi
access points," said Nigel Ballard, director of
wireless for Matrix Networks and a spokesman for the
Personal Telco Project.
Companies tap ready market
Even City Hall boasts many Wi-Fi backers. "It's
a quality of life issue, as well as an economic
development issue," said city Commissioner Erik Sten.
"And it's a cool thing, as well."
Wi-Fi also earns cool points from its Personal Telco
advocates. Ballard said the group wants to establish
more downtown locations next year, as well as expand
into urban renewal areas, such as North Interstate
Avenue.
As Personal Telco expands its reach, two other
Portland businesses have, like Intel, found a Wi-Fi
niche. Matrix, Ballard's company, recently installed
Wi-Fi systems in three airport-area hotels.
In the meantime, such companies as Tiny's, which has
hosted a Wi-Fi node for five months, have seen
customers embrace the technology. "It draws people
in and keeps them here," Manager Jen Procter said.
"It makes for a nice atmosphere."
Reprinted by kind permission of The Portland
Tribune, all rights reserved 2003. |
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