[LINK] Free wireless network plan scrapped

[Tom Worthington]

At 12:15 AM 13/05/2008, stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
>Free city broadband quietly shelved Asher Moses May 10, 2008
><http://www.theage.com.au/news/wireless--broadband/free-city-broadband-
>quietly-shelved/2008/05/09/1210444215811.html> ...
>... free wireless broadband network for the Sydney business district and
>surrounding centres was unviable, analysts said ...

I was reminded of this topic by the sight of catholic pilgrims 
roaming the streets of Sydney's CBD. On the traffic lights at 
pedestrian crossings above them were the nodes of a Government funded 
WiFi network.

This is an Emergency Warning and Intercommunication System (EWIS), 
from Sydney based company Open Access 
<http://www.oa.com.au/component.php?productid=5&componentid=9>. It 
was installed for the APEC meeting to warn the public in an 
emergency. Antennas, digital radio, amplifier, loudspeakers and 
battery backup are mounted on poles around the city (some with 
alphanumeric displays). In an emergency digitized audio announcements 
are made and messages are displayed on the screens.

The EWIS will rarely be needed and so perhaps it could be used for 
free wireless access, for pilgrims and other visitors, when there is 
not an emergency.



Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                      http://www.tomw.net.au/
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, ANU