THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 1 7, 2009
NEWS 17A
TECHNOLOGY
Freenet moves from the Web to television
Company plans to expand business to compete with other local media
**Members of Sigma Nu fraternity watch an episode of Showtime's television series "Weeds" from the ChI Omega Fountain Wednesday afternoon. Lawrence Freeman's new service, which recently in development, will allow video service subscribers within connecting distance to a Firetech, wireless access point to live on or on-demand television.**
*Photo Illustration by Tanner Grubbs/KANSAN*
BY BRANDON SAYERS
bsayers@karysan.com
Photo illustration by Tanner Grubbs/KANSAN
Freenet will join AT&T and Sunflower Broadband as the three major providers of video, telephone and broadband services in Lawrence.
Lawrence Freenet plans to begin offering telephone service in addition to a new video service allowing paying subscribers to watch television programming through the Freenet Wi-Fi network.
"Our membership has been asking us for the ability to deliver phone and video service for some time now," Joshua Montgomery, Lawrence Freenet founder, founder.
Montgomery founded Freenet as a non-profit organization and
"Cheaper, faster, better service. In tough economic times, that's what the consumer wants."
currently the president of Freenets for-profit partner, Community Wireless Co. Together, the two groups are able to provide Internet service to more than 3,000 people in Lawrence.
The name Freenet was chosen because the group's stated goal is to "build a community in which everyone can access the Internet, anywhere, anytime, free of charge," according to its Web site. Montgomery said part of the revenue generated by paying members goes towards providing free Internet access to more than 300 low-income residents in lawrence.
JOSHUJA MONTGOMERY
Founder of
Lawrence Frenet
Montgomery said the group wanted to begin offering a phone
Lawrence city commissioners voted Aug. 11 to allow Community Wireless to offer video service to Lawrence Freenet. The city will receive a video service provider fee of 5 percent of the gross revenues received for all services provided by Freenet within the city.
and video service to rival the services provided by some of its competitors.
Freenet plans to begin offering the video service to part of Lawrence in about three months, if everything goes as planned, although the exact size of the service area is unknown at this time. Subscribers
"Cheaper, faster, better service. In tough economic times, that's what the consumer wants. And that's what we're providing." Montgomery said.
will be required to rent or purchase a box that can be connected to an Ethernet port or connect wirelessly through Freenet's Wi-Fi network.
Montgomery said he hoped the company could offer an "a la carte" option of purchasing video service, where the subscriber could order any number of channels with individual pricing. Montgomery said the service would offer the most popular and local channels found on a standard television service.
"Instead of paying a $30 cable bill for a package that has 75 channels
you'll never watch,
you'd be able to pay a $5 bill for
the only three
channels you ever
watch anyway",
Mongomery said.
popular off-campus student housing destinations along Emery and
Pricing for the service is unknown at this point, but Montgomery said he expected the
"The students who really go to games would love this option because they could watch other games while there."
JACOB SAWYER
Winfield Sophomore
price of the service to be similar to the cost of other local television service providers.
Freenet's Wi-Fi network is unavailable on most of the University's campus, but the group plans to first offer the service to
West Campus roads, including fraternities and sororities
"Our focus in the beginning will be on bringing this service to the students," Montgomery said.
Jacob Sawyer,
Winfield sophomore,
saw the wireless video
service first-hand
while relaxing in the
Chi Omega fountain during a demonstration put on by Freenet for The Kansan. Sawyer said he would be interested in a wireless video service because it would allow him to move his television all around his
house, onto his deck and even to events outside his home.
"The students who really go to the games would love this option because they could watch other games while there," Sawyer said.
Montgomery said that some areas to the north of campus near Memorial Stadium had coverage and that he thought tailgating football fans would have a use for the service.
Rod Kutemeier, general manager of Sunflower Broadband, said the company welcomed Freetex as another competitor in the market of television services.
"Competition makes us have to be better," Kutmeier said. "It's a world where most services are provided under competition."
Kutemeer said that Sunflower Broadband had considered a wire-
Broadband had less video service and that it may be available in the future.
"When the demand is up for a wireless video service, we will have the same thing."
"When the demand is up for a wireless video service, we will have the same thing." Kutemeier said.
pliance with copyright laws if they used the service outside of their
Kutemeter said one issue with providing Wi-Fi television programming was federal copyright law, which does not allow for users to display some types of programming in a public setting. Montgomery said members would be responsible for ensuring that they were in com-
ROD KUTEMEIER
General manager of
Sunflower Broadband
homes.
Freenet also recently began offering 30 minutes of free Internet use on their Wi-Fi network to anyone with a mobile phone beginning with the local 785 area code. The wireless network is currently
CAMPUS
available in approximately 60 percent of Lawrence.
"We had over 2,000 people use that service in the first 10 days it was offered, so I think that's pretty impressive," Montgomery said.
Edited by Jonathan Hermes
New School of the Arts formed
Mandy Shriwise, who is majoring in dance, looks over her shoulder as she practices in Robinson Gymnasium. Dance, which used to be a part of the School of Fine Arts, is now a part of the
Art departments have reorganized with the change
File Photo/KANSAN
BY BETH BEAVERS bbeavers@kansan.com
The department of theatre and film split last month into the department of theatre and the department of film and media studies.
The change came July 1, when the School of Fine Arts dissolved and reorganized into the new School of the Arts. The School of the Arts will include dance, visual arts, theatre, and film and media studies, and is now a part of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The design department, which was part of the School of Fine Arts, was moved to the School of Architecture.
Tunara Falicov, chairperson and associate professor of illm and media studies, said she was receiving e-mails from students concerned about all of the changes. She said they were worried all of the credit hours they took were in vain.
"This was a decision a long time coming" Falicov said. "The fields have been changing and both departments are expensive. We thought it made more sense to get resources on our own."
"if separating the departments gives film more freedom, I'm all for that."
sor of theatre, said.
IAN MCFARLAND Overland Park senior
Part of the reorganization involved going through the curriculum, changing course numbers and deciding which classes belonged in which department, John Staniunas, chairman of the department and associate profes-
Students who have already completed course work or declared a film studies major or minor will be grandfathered in, meaning their curriculum will not change, Falicov said. Students who are new to the department as of July 1 will have a different curriculum that is more streamlined. This means there are fewer credit hours required than before so students can gradu
ate in four years.
Courses that used to be required for film studies majors, such as theatre 100, will no longer be required.
The curriculum for the theatre department will remain the same.
and film and media studies major, said he thought both departments would benefit from the changes because film at the University was focused on the study of film and theory, while theatre was more focused on theatre production.
Ian McFarland, Overland Park senior
"Now theatre students can minor in film and film students can minor in theatre." Staniunas said. "This wasn't possible before because the classes couldn't count because they were all in the same department."
Falicov said that because the departments were so closely related, they would still collaborate. Staniusas said he thought the change would make the relationship between the two departments even stronger.
Students interested in working in film are invited to an internship fair from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 8 at Oldfather Studios at the Hark Harvey soundstage.
"If separating the departments gives film more freedom, I'm all for that," McFarland said.
Alumni and representatives from production companies in the area will be there to talk about internship opportunities available to students.
"We are expanding our hori-
..." Palicov said.
Edited by Amanda Thompson
ENGINEERING
School requests help with increasing its enrollment
BY JESSE RANGEL jrangel@kansan.com
Despite increased budget cuts, the Kansas Board of Regents has asked the University to find a way to increase the number of students educated in the School of Engineering.
Stuart Bell,
dean of the
School of
Engineering,
said he expected
the demand for
qualified engineers growing
in the coming
STEPHEN MORRIS Kansas senate president
"Even with the budget crunch, I still think it's important to move forward with engineering."
years, despite the school's inability to fulfill that demand.
"Kansas legislative and business leaders have asked the Regents to increase the number of engineering students we educate," then-interim chancellor Barbara Atkinson said in her comments to the state legislature July 28. "However, budget cuts mean we are unable to sustain growth in our School of Engineering."
Bell said Kansas manufacturing was less visible in a state more closely identified with agricultural production.
But because of a 40 percent retirement rate in the aircraft industry during the next five years, he said, the demand for engineers in that field would increase.
Morris said his initiative.
But despite budget cuts, Kansas Senate President Stephen Morris (R-Hugoton) will continue to push for increased recruitment, retention and facilities for engineering programs.
aHe said if Kansas schools were not able to meet the demands of that field, the industry would look to other places for employees, which would hurt Kansans in the long run.
"We're already not able to meet the demand," Bell said.
said his initiative, which would promote engineering in K-12 education, was important to help boost the economy.
"Even with the budget crunch, I still think it's important to move forward with engineering," Morris said.
Bell said he
worked with Morris and the two
"It helps people stay motivated and build social connections," Frei said. "You're sitting here as a student and you're working hard throughout the week, and if you're able to go to an event once in a while that can help you blow off some steam, that's really important."
Anthony Frei, Lawrence junior and president of Engineering Student Council, said the dean asked the council to cut back about 5 percent of its budget. Frei said he understood why the cutbacks were necessary, but said he still wanted to see events aimed at engineering students to continue.
decisions."
ingeschools in the state — Kansas State University and Wichita State University — to add to staff and building capacity.
"I think that clearly it's a great plan that
STEPHEN MORRIS Kansas senate president
we've put forward," Bell said. "But these are challenging times. Challenging times call for having to make really tough and hard
"This is important because jobs are needed now," Morris said. "We need significant input and help from
"This is important because jobs are needed now."
the private sector to be successful with this."
Morris said he hoped private companies in Kansas would help to contribute funding down the road.
Edited by Megan Morriss