Hooray for Wi-Fi
By: Jerry Johnson 02/01/2008
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Living in the Northside for the last eight years I must relate computer access issues I’ve encountered and the frustration I’ve encountered. I don’t qualify myself as computer proficient and have marginal skills at best. I had dial-up service for eight years and got tired of the snail speed so chose to upgrade for faster access and downloads. Unfortunately my options usually required costly and bundled packages. I only wanted computer speed and was not interested in TV and phone services as part of those package deals. I choose DSL/broadband but was disappointed with performance. After weeks and countless hours of trouble-shooting I chose to “pull the plug.” I’m now back to turtle speed dial-up service.
But there is a solution and I’m actually quite excited to share this with people who have experienced my problems and don’t want to put a second mortgage on their homes to afford faster Internet access. Many of you may have noticed work crews installing funny-looking transmitters with antennas onto telephone poles. These are wireless transmitters which will provide high speed wireless Internet access - which doesn’t rely on any circuits inside your home or any cabling to the home to function. It is a reliable and tested system and that’s why the City of Minneapolis chose to contract with the firm USI Wireless. And the beauty of it is it’s very affordable. They are about 2-3 months behind the anticipated build-out schedule but the system will soon be functional. Check the system at usiwireless.com.
I usually write in to complain to readers about the flaws with our city and its policy makers, now I’m writing in to compliment. If there’s three things that the City has done right it would be in this order: Whoever was the mastermind behind the skyway system was a genius; the light rail system has been a success story from the day it became functional; and I think that much thought and a lot of burning the midnight oil went into this wireless service.
Thank god somebody in city hall had their thinking caps on. There is hope on the horizon...can you envision this? A perfect downtown skyway system, a perfect and successful light rail system and a perfect wireless service - the whole city will be like one big Dunn Brothers coffee shop. Miracles come in threes...or perhaps miracles come in fours. As a result of this new Wi-Fi, I have noticed in my recent mailings that various Internet service providers have reduced their prices to compete with this new affordable service to retain existing customers. Competition is good; somebody was thinking in city hall. Wow, I’m impressed; what a well oiled piece of machinery our decision makers in city hall have done again.
Jerry Johnson,
Victory neighborhood
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What’s that funny-looking thing on your telephone pole? The City’s Wi-Fi network is getting installed on the Northside. The City has a 10-year contract with USI Wireless to provide Minneapolis with wireless broadband Internet access for residents, businesses and visitors anywhere in the city. Pictured is one installation at 50th and Upton. Photo by Brock Hanson.