Austin Wireless City Project

Austin Wireless City Project Building a Community Network by Building Community www.austinwirelesscity.org Last updated Aug 19 2004 Grassroots or Weeds? Lots of free Wifi hotspots, but – they were deployed without a plan. They lacked coordination for operations, network planning, deployment, monitoring, support, and visibility. Relied on individual geeks. – for-pay hotspots were systematically deployed, marketed, and bankrolled by telco giants SaveMuniWireless.org • Texas HB 789 – Anti-wireless – Anti-innovation – Anti-competitive – Anti-democratic – Anti-social – Anti-family Concern • Free Wifi hotspots – about 60 – small venues and independent businesses – installed and maintained by individuals – stand alone • For-pay Wifi hotspots – about 25 – in national chain outlets (Starbucks, Borders) • Was there a danger that unplanned free Wifi deployments might vanish due to lack of coordination and commitment? • Was the public even aware that free Wifi was a viable alternative to Starbuck‟s? • Would we eventually be forced to abandon small business and go to chains for Wifi? • Classic fee-based models enable large out-of-town telecom giants to pocket all the gains, the communitybased model keeps locally generated revenues in the communities that generated them in the first place. Community Spirit, Coordination and Technology • AWCP established in Oct 2002 “Making cool places hot • Community stakeholders and hot places hotter” identified Phase I: 50 Hotspots in 1 Year – – – – Austin Wireless Group Austin Free-Net EFF-Austin Technology Partner needed • Mission and scope debated Stone Soup The Free WiFi Business Model: Community Spirit + Free Enterprise Recognize that everyone has the potential to contribute something Classic fee-based models enable large out-of-town telecom giants to pocket all the gains; The community-based model keeps locally generated revenues in the communities that generated them in the first place. Success depends on contributors benefiting from cooperation Business Model succeeds when it enables as many small businesses as possible to profit from it Needs and Desires • For Venues: low-cost commercial-style service – Venue-branding – Usage statistics – User communication • For Users: free commercial-style service – More venue visibility – More reliable service – Cool features: venue-to-venue chat, discussion forums, news and articles, hotspot finder, user finder • For Community: viable, sustainable free wifi alternative to for-pay model Open Source, Bohemians, and Cheap Gear • Less Networks Garage Band / Software Company (est. March 2003 as Technology Partner) – LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, Perl) – NoCatAuth – Postnuke • Old PCs ain‟t dead yet. Give „em to us and we‟ll put them back into community service powering free wifi hotspots – – – – – Pentium II 64MB RAM 500MB Hard drive CD-ROM 2 Ethernet ports • Partnered with Dell Recycling Program and Image Microsystems to get out of junk business •Service Provision based on Meeting Needs (for free) and Fulfilling Desires (for pay, at some point) Results Beat T-Mobile (6 months) 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Jul- Aug- Sep- Oct- Nov- Dec- Jan- Feb- Mar- Apr- May- Jun- Jul- 403 03 03 03 03 03 04 04 04 04 04 04 04 Aug Hotspots Phase I Done! (8 months) Hotspots • Network launched first hotspot 9/11/2003 • 83 networked venues and 13,000 registered users • Including City Hall, State Capitol, libraries, and parks, franchises, and international roaming. • Usage growing 35-40% monthly • Over 120 hotspots and 17,000 users worldwide belong to network Sample Login Page Free more fun, more features Discussions WiFi Articles & News Venue-to-Venue Chat Network IM An example of small businesses working together to provide free WiFi • • • • • • • • • Opal Divine’s, a popular bar and restaurant wanted free wifi Midas Networks did the cabling. A small consultancy installed a router. Another company made new coasters that said “Free WiFi here.” More food and beer order from Opal‟s local suppliers to feed the new WiFi customers. New Wifi customers bought the food and beer and paid new tips to the wait staff. Less Networks employs 10 employees and contractors Midas Networks hosts Less Networks. Corporate communications firm Hackney Communications provides the PR and gets them coverage in the local papers, the Austin American Statesman and the Austin Business Journal, as well as the national trades. Even the Big Boys make out in the community model • Kinko’s made the vinyl sign hanging outside that says “Free WiFi here” • CompUSA sold the wireless access point • Local access point maker Buffalo sold CompUSA the access point • Telecom giant SBC sold them the business class DSL connection. • Kinko‟s, CompUSA, Buffalo, and SBC combine to employ hundreds of Austinites. • And let‟s not forget the enterprising guy who peddles the bright orange t-shirts that say “Keep WiFi Free. Keep Austin Wireless.” Transformation • The circle is completed – local technical schools provide students as network installation interns in exchange for valuable hands-on experience – job seekers want to volunteer as network support personnel to beef up their resumes. • The Project transforms the community – from consumers of a corporate-delivered service into creators of a locally-provided service – from users of WiFi into high-tech educators and trainers in the wireless industry. Clustering Around Success Original Stakeholders • Austin Wireless (hobbyists) • Austin Free-Net (digital divide) • EFF-Austin (civil liberties) • Less Networks (open source software startup) New Stakeholders / Partners • City of Austin • Austin Wireless Alliance (industry association) • Austin Chamber of Commerce • University of Texas at Austin – McCombs School of Business – IC2 • • • • Time Warner (CLEC) SBC (ILEC) Sysco Foods (food distrib) ISPs Challenges Ahead • Recruitment – herding the help • Training – training the trainers • Retention – keeping volunteers motivated • Sustainability – monitoring pulse and taking action • Reproducibility – modeling for others austinwirelesscity.org (512) 302-3302 Roger Wilco VOLUNTEER How to Do it Yourself • AWCP open sources its operating procedures, policy, organization structure, and documentation. www.austinwirelesscity.org • Less Networks hotspot server software available for free download. www.lessnetworks.com