WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2004
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3A
City commissioner talking about wireless Lawrence
BY STEPHANE FARLEY
sfarley@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITE
The Lawrence City Commission could talk about a wireless Lawrence, but that could still be a while away.
Sue Hack, Lawrence commissioner, said she received an e-mailed article from a Lawrence resident about the city of Philadelphia going wireless.
The city of Philadelphia is looking at becoming an entire hot spot, which would mean the entire city would be wireless and people could access the Internet from anywhere in Philadelphia. The project could cost around $10 million to get
started and $1.5 million to maintain every year. The hot spot would have a coverage area of 135 square miles.
The transmitters, which allows the Internet signal to travel through radio waves, would most likely be placed on top of lampposts.
Hack said the idea of a wireless city was interesting, but whether the idea could be turned into reality remained to be seen.
If the idea turns out to be something the commission wants to pursue, then it could be placed in the next budget cycle, which is in 2006, Hack said.
She said there were a lot of other projects, such as construction, that needed funding that would come before the city could provide wireless Internet to everyone.
"I think it would be really exciting for a community to be able to provide that for an individual," Hack said.
Ron Hall, information systems director for Lawrence, said there were several issues the city would need to consider before trying to make Lawrence a completely wireless community. One issue, Hall said, is the city would more than likely have to make the wireless program a separate department or utility. The city would be in charge of offering technical support and handle billing if the city decided to charge for
the service. Hall said.
He said another issue would be that the city could be in direct competition with other Internet and wireless providers in the area, such as Sunflower Broadband.
Hall said the cost of the project would depend on the coverage area and how many towers the city would need to install to cover that area.
Hall said Hack was only seeking opinion and comment on the e-mailed article and that there had been no discussion by the commission on the issue.
Sunflower Broadband already provides 20 wireless hot spots throughout Lawrence.
Ashley Seeger, customer support specialist for Sunflower
Broadband, said hot spots allow people to access the Internet without having to mess with wires.
Seeger said Sunflower has seen an increase in hot spot usage, but one of the issues was that not everyone had a laptop.
Sunflower Broadband has between 15,000 and 17,000 customers, residential and business, connected to the Internet.
He said another issue with making Lawrence completely wireless was coverage and where towers would be installed.
As long as a tower is in a person's line of sight, then the person is in a coverage area. Seeger said.
He said Sunflower
Broadband had conducted surveys asking Lawrence residents what they thought about hot spots and wireless Internet.
Dianah Neff, chief information officer for Philadelphia, said the city of Philadelphia was planning on being completely wireless by June 2006.
She said the wireless capability would allow Philadelphia to keep up with the 21st century and the city's vastly growing population, which is currently at 1.5 million people.
Philadelphia, Seattle and Chaska, Minn., are three cities that have have started initiatives to become completely wireless.
LAWRENCE
Edited by Rupal Gor
Commission announces start of Literacy Week
Mayor Mike Rundle proclaimed Sept. 26 through Oct.
2 Civic Literacy Week at last night's Lawrence City Commission meeting.
The Student Legislative Awareness Board,Student Senate, Student Union Activities, KU College Republicans and the KU Young Democrats are among the campus organizations that are sponsoring the upcoming Civic Literacy Week.
Literacy Week, the week of Sept. 26, is a week of activities planned to increase involvement of students, both civically and politically.
Jason Boots, community affairs director for Student Senate, said voter registration was officially kicked off during Hawk Week, but Literacy Week provided another opportunity to push for voter registration.
Boots said different civic organizations noticed a trend in young people, who tended to
pe civically, but not politically involved.
Literacy Week kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004, in South Park with Rock the Park which features bands such as Drakkar Sauna and Yucca Roots.
It will then continue on Monday, Sept. 27, 2004, with an open forum between Nancy Boyda, the congressional candidate for the 2nd District, and Dennis Moore, the 3rd District representative.
Events continue throughout the week with a debate between College Republicans and Young Democrats on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2004, in the Kansas Union.
The Women's Civic Leadership Conference is on Saturday, Oct. 2, in the Kansas Union. Pre-registration for the conference is required.
The next city commission meeting will be Sept. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, 6 E. Sixth St. The meetings are open to the public.
For questions or more information on events, e-mail slab@ku.edu.
Stephanie Farley
Eight ball, corner pocket
Alex Plassmeyer/KANSAN
Brian Devine, Laramie, Wyo. senior, breaks the rack while relaxing at the Crossing at 12th and Oread. Devine and his friends shot pool and relaxed yesterday afternoon.
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