|
The Wireless Washtenaw project was originally an ambitious plan to provide free wireless broadband access throughout Washtenaw County, Michigan by April 2008 'without a burden on taxpayers.' To accomplish this, it was to rely upon a public/ private sector partnership between the Washtenaw County government and 20/20 Communications. In March 2010, due to a failure to qualify for a certain anticipated federal stimulus grant, 20/20 Communications sold most of its operations to 123Net〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url = https://a2success.ewashtenaw.org/reports/a2s-update-may-2010/a2s-update-may-2010#wireless-washtenaw ) May 2010 Washtenaw Wireless project status update on official Washtenaw county website. 〕 20/20 Communications however continues to be 123.net's sales representative for the Washtenaw County area via its website and sales office.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url = http://www.annarbor.com/business-review/southfield-firm-launching-4g-wimax-network-in-downtown-ann-arbor/ ) General discussion of 2010 changes in the Washtenaw Wireless program, and of 123.net's plans for Ann Arbor. 〕 123.net has continued to maintain the Wireless Washtenaw network, and in the downtown Ann Arbor area has significantly expanded its transmission capabilities to include the 4G WiMAX microwave band. Their 4G WiMAX service is a business class product offered outside of the original Wireless Washtenaw project. It has also upgraded some of the network equipment of the project as well.〔 As of November 2010, the network provided wireless internet access options to downtown Ann Arbor, Manchester, Saline, Chelsea, and Dexter.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url = http://2020comm.com/coverage.php ) Listing of coverage areas in which 20/20 Communications markets, including the Wireless Washtenaw network. 〕 From 2008 through 2010 it became increasingly clear that all of the original goals of the Wireless Washtenaw program were not being achieved by the deadlines as originally stipulated in the 20/20 Communications contract. Since acquisition by 123.net, unless and until an additional source of significant funding for the program might be found, 20/20 Communications, under 123.net has restated the more realistic goals of the plan as merely hoping, "to revisit the possibility of slowly expanding the Wireless Washtenaw network sometime next summer (2011)."〔 One estimate for the amount of additional funding needed to provide full coverage to the county is $10,000,000.〔 New 'free' subscriptions to the service are no longer offered on the 20/20 website. 20/20 also no longer advertises any pricing on its website (November 2010).〔(【引用サイトリンク】 url = http://2020comm.com/residential.php ) Services shown as being offered, but without any pricing listed. 〕 Still, despite the fact that 20/20 is no longer predicting that the entire county will have wireless internet access anytime soon, the Washtenaw County government's official website seems to imply otherwise. Despite the fact that the county's website is complete with a broken link to the now non-existent http:// wireless.ewashtenaw.org site (Jan, 2011), along with a vague assurance that the now halted project is supposedly ongoing, county administrators are still apparently holding onto the hope that the Wireless Washtenaw Program aimed at blanketing the entire county with wireless Internet access might actually one day achieve exactly that.〔 == Original project goals == Washtenaw County, Michigan, has described the goals of Wireless Washtenaw to be the following; * Provide an economic development tool to attract and retain businesses * Reduce the digital divide * Improve County service delivery * Facilitate wireless technology use for our citizens and visitors * Create a seamless wireless infrastructure to attract and retain young professionals * Establish a wireless broadband network without a burden on taxpayers The original Wireless Washtenaw website originally listed these goals. The original site was initially hosted within the official Washtenaw county website, but has since been removed by the county, though many dead links still point to the old site. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wireless Washtenaw」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|