One Economy Interview on Muni-Wireless

I was recently interviewed for a research paper being written by James Sison of the One Economy Corporation. James is researching how cities and other municipalities can prepare themselves for implementing wireless and broadband services. I spoke to James about how broadband development in this country, and especially in New York City, is both slower and more expensive than in Europe and Asia.

I also commented to him about a previous post where I wrote about the full cost of broadband in NYC versus the cost of a computer. In the US, we pay a premium for our connectivity, and this makes no sense when you consider how much commerce takes place online:

New York City (Community Nonprofit Model)

Dana Spiegel of NYCwireless (http://www.nycwireless.net) runs a non-profit group that “enables the growth of free, public wireless Internet access in New York City.” The all-volunteer network manages more than 100 wi-fi hotspots located in public spaces and underserved neighborhoods. “The growth of the global economy depends on how many people you can get online,” says executive director Spiegel. “Over a three year period, people will spend an average of $1800 in New York ($50/mo x 36 mo) just to get online. You’d think that tech companies would give computers and Internet access away, just so they can get consumers to spend more money online.”