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Akron is about to become a digital superstar (New National Headquarters)

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Posted

Free wireless corridor offered in Akron by end of year

By Jim Carney/Beacon Journal staff writer

 

POSTED: 04:55 p.m. EDT, Apr 10, 2008

 

Akron is about to become a digital superstar.

 

The city will become the national headquarters of a multi-million dollar think tank that will help communities bring the on line world to more people.

 

And at the same time, Akron will be a model of universal, free access to the World Wide Webwith the creation of a wireless Internet access corridor covering about 10 square miles in the central part of the city.

 

More at http://www.ohio.com

Great news for Akron and NE Ohio!!

Wasn't Cleveland in on this five years ago?  What ever happened with that?

Cincinnati has been working on this for a while now and I use it all of the time! It seems like everywhere I go, there is a free "hotspot" ... definitely good news for Akron! Business travelers will love it!

Wasn't Cleveland in on this five years ago?  What ever happened with that?

 

Couldn't make the money work was the rumor I heard as to why it was canned.

Wasn't Cleveland in on this five years ago?  What ever happened with that?

 

Couldn't make the money work was the rumor I heard as to why it was canned.

 

What about sponsorship? Have they tried getting advertisers on board?

Who is making money on this.?. because if thats going to be a reality wouldnt people stop  paying for internet in thier homes and such.?.  I know its not planned for the whole city only about 40% of the population within city limits.

  • 9 months later...

Here's an update on this..  No wonder people have been calling asking what gives.. 

http://www.ohio.com/news/37696649.html

 

 

City wireless corridor to start in months

 

Free Internet service set for central Akron is highly anticipated, officials say

 

By Katie Byard

Beacon Journal staff writer

 

Published on Friday, Jan 16, 2009

 

Free wireless Internet service could be available in the central part of Akron sometime this summer.  Officials planning the much-anticipated Akron digital corridor — covering roughly 10 square miles — said Thursday there is a lot of anticipation around the project.  ''Just in the last two weeks, we've gotten a dozen phone calls from residents asking us, 'When is it going to be available?' '' said James Nice, with the Knight Center of Digital Excellence, which is spearheading the effort.

CHOPPED

Expect the telecom industry to show up with some vague, unsupportable data and try to convince the city that it is not cost effective and that it is morally wrong because it violates the principals of the  free market.

I doubt that.  This is a non-profit organization expanding internet access to throughout city core.  This isn't a governmental agency that worries about stepping on telecom industry's free market toes.

The Free Market Place philosophy, in my opinion, say that you can offer a product or service as cheep as you want. If the competition can't handle it; that's there problem.

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