Fifty Additional Wi-Fi Hotspots to Come Online in Anderson
Coverage will be boosted to 150 locations
ANDERSON, IN - Spring is a wonderful time to unplug and venture outdoors, but that doesn’t mean you have to be disconnected from the information systems you depend on. Anderson Wi-Fi service is expanding coverage from 100 initial locations to 150 locations, all around the City.
Wi-Fi allows users to log on to the internet whenever they are in a service hot spot, but the unobtrusive units were initially acquired to provide many other municipal functions. The units broadcast up to 16 signals at a time, including Automated Meter Reading, traffic signal control, utility outage reporting, and remote surveillance functions. Service is not intended to replace in-home internet service, but rather is intended as an outdoor technology for people enjoying amenities throughout town or who need or want to work online in a remote location.
"Use of Anderson Wi-Fi by internet users has grown 300% just this year," commented Darren Grile, Network Supervisor for Anderson Municipal Light and Power. "From analysis of the use, we saw a tremendous leap in hits just after Christmas, and we could tell that the service was being used by iPods/iPhones. We can only presume those were popular holiday gifts locally”. To suggest additional popular areas for WiFi coverage, contact Grile at 648-6492.
Source: City of Anderson
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So where will the 100 new ones be?
It may not be intended to replace home usage (paid for) internet service, but just about anyone with a wireless card or built in wireless will be able to access the internet if they receive the signal in their home. The more hotspots they put in the wider the range will become. It's likely that many people will prefer to pay $16 - $100 for a wireless card or antennae to pic up the signal and forego their own internet service. Maybe in some homes this would be good. Anderson wifi blocks quite a few sites which are inappropriate for young users. On the other hand, it also blocks some sites that are entirely appropriate which can be frustrating for some users. There will always be a price to pay when you think you are getting something for nothing. Or rather, sacrifices to be made.
And let's not forget, if Anderson is supplying the service, the taxpayers are paying the cost of it. 150 new hotspots? That's an investment in at least 150 more routers. They (the routers) aren't paying for themselves. Anyone wonder why people are seeing higher prices on their utility bills? This may well be one of the reasons. Just a thought.
My mistake......I added in the already 100 hotspots. Still....50 new routers, and the existing 100, all being used by virtually anyone who can access them.
Maybe we will see a new charge added to the utility bill, like we have the storm water charge.
I do believe I was right.
I just got off the phone with Energy Assistance. The woman I spoke to informed me that she just found out yesterday that the reason everyone's electric bills seem to have gone up so much is because we are paying for the convesion to digital. That would include the routers that are being installed for the Anderson Wifi since they need those to coordinate with the meters.
I am not surprised by this....but isn't it funny it's hidden 'within' the electric charge and not showing as an additional item?