Municipal WiFi – Social Program or Utility?
November 16th, 2006By Kevin McTiernan
Those outside the San Francisco Bay Area may or may not be aware of the juggernaut underway in San Francisco over Municipal WiFi (or maybe they are witnessing their own version). After a nearly two-year process, Google/Earthlink were selected to provide inexpensive WiFi to the city. Similar to other locations, the business model would offer free, ad-sponsored and a paid, premium service. While most hoped to be able to access the service by the end of this year, it will most likely be available in late 2007. The delays are mostly political and are evidenced in the criticisms voiced thus far in town-hall meetings sponsored by Google and Earthlink. Requests range from no ads for the free service to Google paying to bus kids to the zoo; and, requests for changes such as not requiring users to log in. While an outsider may characterize it as lunacy, it really demonstrates how many perspectives people can have on the same issue and what makes San Francisco such a great city.
But is Muni-WiFi a social program or a utility? Whether free or not, people will expect a certain quality of service. How can Google/Earthlink maintain the integrity (and thus QoS) if anyone is allowed to attach to the network? What’s worse, in the event of a natural or other disaster, such “openness?” could be used against the network to frustrate the efforts of first responders or citizens looking to be informed. An untraceable, open network full of users and the potential for press is the dream scenario for most hackers. When such attacks happen, and they will, law enforcement will be called on to investigate and punish those behind the deed. With no logins, nothing to verify the user, law enforcement’s investigative ability will be severely hampered – unless they infiltrate the bus ride to the zoo.
Which brings me to my angle on the situation – such networks will need to assist law enforcement with investigations. WiFi at 300kbps (the rate for free WiFi in San Francisco) is broadband. If it accesses the public Internet, it is Internet Access. Broadband Internet Access is required to comply with CALEA (The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act) by May of 2007. This means that all of these Muni-WiFi networks will have to enable the ability to assist law enforcement with investigations (including lawful intercept).
I think people might want to stop looking at Muni-WiFi as a social program and start looking at it for what it is, a utility - just like electricity. It is expected to be there when needed and it must be allowed to put in measures such as power meters (to get paid) or the ability to turn off a node (block access) to ensure the grid stays up. The fact that it may be accessed for a cheap price must not change this view.