Binghamton Wi-Fi to be available soon

[Guest Guest]

a penny wont buy you a new engine or tires

 

 

It wouldn't buy the seat covers either. So would the prudent course of action be to start saving to address the priority issues? Is hi tech gadgetry a higher priority than basic municipal functions that are going undone?

[Guest Guest]

It wouldn't buy the seat covers either. So would the prudent course of action be to start saving to address the priority issues? Is hi tech gadgetry a higher priority than basic municipal functions that are going undone?

 

 

Don't be ridiculous. The highest priority is for Matt get his "I am just so super advanced and cool" card stamped, and for Tarik to be able to make ritual incantation of the words "equity" and "justice", so he can deal with his clearly overwhelmingly irrational sense of guilt at having been born a doctor's son.

[Guest Guest]

More disinformation.

 

Why not read the thread before posting. If you had you would have seen that $29,000 came from a NY State grant that had to be matched with another $29,000 from the City of Binghamton, so ALL Binghamton residents are paying for this but only a very select few within a small section of the downtown area (about 1/4 square miles, not 1 square miles as stated in the press release, Ryan and Abdelazim probably do not know the difference) will be able to use this system. In fact, The Binghamton Regency Hotel is not even in the area.

 

Furthermore, these wifi antennas require line-of-sight to work so they will not work INSIDE most building unless those building install antenna and relays to a router, wireless or not. Residential users who plan to use this will have to sit by a window or on their front steps or porch.

 

The actually number of users on this thing will be so inconsequential nobody will advertise on it.

 

Even if they do, Tarik Abdelaizm himself said last fall that they expected only $18,000 or les per year in advertising AND users fees. Now we are told there are no user fees so this thing will lose $20,000 to $40,000 per year

 

 

sorry for my misunderstanding of the cost. So what you are saying is that it will cost each resident of the city approximately $1.45. so if using my scenario of a person sitting in a coffee shop to use internet rather than at home - paying sales tax of $1.20 - and all the other tax benefits and business opportunities this could and would create. First - if $1.20 is alot to you, you may want to re-asess your life - secondly, as stated before, do a cost benefit analysis before coming to any kind of opinion. thirdly, it is always important to base your opinions on facts rather than base your facts on your opinions - and finally, you are incorrect when you say it will lose money. it will be a break even p[roposition when advertising fees are taken into account. In the future, try and know at least something before forming an opinion.

[Guest Guest]

It wouldn't buy the seat covers either. So would the prudent course of action be to start saving to address the priority issues? Is hi tech gadgetry a higher priority than basic municipal functions that are going undone?

 

 

investing a penny to make a dollar - in order to fix the other things would be a good and sound business judgement

[Guest Guest]

investing a penny to make a dollar - in order to fix the other things would be a good and sound business judgement

 

Maybe that worked for inside traders like Hillary on cattle futures, but the idea that a system which will "break even", will actually bring in 100 fold profit or future investment, is a bit far fetched.

 

Anyway, why all this talk of investment and making dollars, wasn't this all about "equity" and "justice"?

 

[Guest Guest]

sorry for my misunderstanding of the cost. So what you are saying is that it will cost each resident of the city approximately $1.45. so if using my scenario of a person sitting in a coffee shop to use internet rather than at home - paying sales tax of $1.20 - and all the other tax benefits and business opportunities this could and would create. First - if $1.20 is alot to you, you may want to re-asess your life - secondly, as stated before, do a cost benefit analysis before coming to any kind of opinion. thirdly, it is always important to base your opinions on facts rather than base your facts on your opinions - and finally, you are incorrect when you say it will lose money. it will be a break even p[roposition when advertising fees are taken into account. In the future, try and know at least something before forming an opinion.

 

Geesh, you're thick, man.

 

First, the system will only work in a small 1/4 square mile section of downtown OUTSIDE!!!!

 

Chances are if you are sitting in a cafe (three are only three or four restaurants or cafes in the whole area covered (Tom & Marty's, Dillenger's, Uncle Tony's Java Joe's and the Old World Deli, that's it), the nmuni wif WILL NOT WORK unles thsoe place invest in an antenna and wirerouter or their own. Sicne they proably have Time Warner or another servide anyway fro their busnienss why woud they buy an antena they don't need or a seconfd router? If they want their patrosn to have wifi they wil ldo it on their own.

 

If you live anywhere else outside of the small 1/4 sq. miles sectio being served and do not go downtown with your computer you will NEVER use this service.

 

Finally, what benefits to you see in this system?

 

How do you think it will improve anything?

 

Business will not use this servcie. I work for a business in that area. We will not alter our service. Our empoyee will have no use for it. They do not bring laptops to work, they have desktops. Our clients do not need this service.

 

There is only one hotel covered by the proposed and still uncertain service. It already offers its client high speed wireless and does not need this service nor does its guests. Do you think they will use it on the Riverwalk or sit in front of the Court House? The only conceivable place they might use it is sitting outside in the Parlor City Commons when it is not raining or cold. Do you really want to spend $60,000 initially and $30,000 every year after that just for that? The restaurants there could spend $500 each or join together for $500 total and do it for themsleves.

 

 

 

[Guest Guest]

Time Warner Road Runner should sue Tarik and Ryan.

 

[Guest Guest]

Do you really want to spend $60,000 initially and $30,000 every year after that just for that? The restaurants there could spend $500 each or join together for $500 total and do it for themsleves.

 

Yeah...but where's the "equity and justice" in that?

 

[Guest Guest]

Geesh, you're thick, man.

 

First, the system will only work in a small 1/4 square mile section of downtown OUTSIDE!!!!

 

Chances are if you are sitting in a cafe (three are only three or four restaurants or cafes in the whole area covered (Tom & Marty's, Dillenger's, Uncle Tony's Java Joe's and the Old World Deli, that's it), the nmuni wif WILL NOT WORK unles thsoe place invest in an antenna and wirerouter or their own. Sicne they proably have Time Warner or another servide anyway fro their busnienss why woud they buy an antena they don't need or a seconfd router? If they want their patrosn to have wifi they wil ldo it on their own.

 

If you live anywhere else outside of the small 1/4 sq. miles sectio being served and do not go downtown with your computer you will NEVER use this service.

 

Finally, what benefits to you see in this system?

 

How do you think it will improve anything?

 

Business will not use this servcie. I work for a business in that area. We will not alter our service. Our empoyee will have no use for it. They do not bring laptops to work, they have desktops. Our clients do not need this service.

 

There is only one hotel covered by the proposed and still uncertain service. It already offers its client high speed wireless and does not need this service nor does its guests. Do you think they will use it on the Riverwalk or sit in front of the Court House? The only conceivable place they might use it is sitting outside in the Parlor City Commons when it is not raining or cold. Do you really want to spend $60,000 initially and $30,000 every year after that just for that? The restaurants there could spend $500 each or join together for $500 total and do it for themsleves.

 

every step of the way you make up your own facts. hard to debate something like that. like trying to debate ed. ooops - you probably are ed. Anyway 1) I see lots of benefits to the system and have said what some of them are. 2) it will not cost money as you say it will be revenue neutral 3) if $1.45 is alot of money to you - re-assess your life. I bet the system makes money for the taxpayers and all the "facts" lean towards that conclusion. If Ryan were agains thtis, you would be for it - he is for it - so you are against it. I know manmy have said this - but seriously - grow up.

 

[Guest Guest]

Time Warner Road Runner should sue Tarik and Ryan.

 

 

For?

[Ed Arzouian]

every step of the way you make up your own facts. hard to debate something like that. like trying to debate ed. ooops - you probably are ed. Anyway 1) I see lots of benefits to the system and have said what some of them are. 2) it will not cost money as you say it will be revenue neutral 3) if $1.45 is alot of money to you - re-assess your life. I bet the system makes money for the taxpayers and all the "facts" lean towards that conclusion. If Ryan were agains thtis, you would be for it - he is for it - so you are against it. I know manmy have said this - but seriously - grow up.

 

 

What facts were made up? The money for this came from a NYS matching grant, $29,000 from the state, $29,000 from the City. Tarik said even with users fees AND advertising the network might make $18,000. Now it has no users fees. How can it make money when it costs over $3600 per month and it wil not generate even $800 PER YEAR in advertising?

 

What facts lead you believe this will make money for taxpayers?

 

Have you looked around the country? It have failed and loss money almost everywhere.

 

Municipal Wi-Fi Networks Run Into Financial, Technical Trouble

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,274728,00.html

 

More Municipal Wireless Problems

WiFiNetNews says a purchase of the Tempe Arizona municipal network may be off.

Other bad news; Citywide Wi-Fi is dead in Yuma, reports the Yuma Sun. Kite Networks, has stalled the project indefinitely.

 

Cities Scrap Municipal Wireless Plans

Written By: Steven Titch

Published In: Info Tech & Telecom News

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

Publisher: The Heartland Institute

http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=21874

 

Where's My Free Wi-Fi?

Why municipal wireless networks have been such a flop.

By Tim Wu

Posted Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007, at 12:53 PM ET

http://www.slate.com/id/2174858/pagenum/all/

 

EarthLink hangs "for sale" sign on municipal WiFi business

By Eric Bangeman | Published: February 09, 2008 - 10:02PM CT

EarthLink announced its fourth quarter earnings late last week, and it wasn't pretty. After six straight quarters of losses, the ISP has decided to exit the municipal WiFi sector and will actively look for someone to buy the business.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080...i-business.html

http://www.dailywireless.org/2008/01/09/mo...eless-problems/

 

 

New Orleans to take city-wide WiFi network offline

By Eric Bangeman | Published: October 23, 2006 - 11:22AM CT

 

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans came up with a plan to help get its communications infrastructure back up and running: a free, city-wide WiFi network. Built with equipment donated by Intel, Tropos Networks, and Pronto Networks, the Crescent City's municipal WiFi network will soon be going dark.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061023-8052.html?rel

 

 

Stay Current

Features10 Reasons Your City Should Skip Municipal Wireless

(1 Comment)There are real reasons for the cool down in municipal wifi.

http://www.dailywireless.com/features/ten-...ni-wifi-101007/

[Guest Guest]

What facts were made up? The money for this came from a NYS matching grant, $29,000 from the state, $29,000 from the City. Tarik said even with users fees AND advertising the network might make $18,000. Now it has no users fees. How can it make money when it costs over $3600 per month and it wil not generate even $800 PER YEAR in advertising?

 

What facts lead you believe this will make money for taxpayers?

 

Have you looked around the country? It have failed and loss money almost everywhere.

 

Municipal Wi-Fi Networks Run Into Financial, Technical Trouble

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,274728,00.html

 

More Municipal Wireless Problems

WiFiNetNews says a purchase of the Tempe Arizona municipal network may be off.

Other bad news; Citywide Wi-Fi is dead in Yuma, reports the Yuma Sun. Kite Networks, has stalled the project indefinitely.

 

Cities Scrap Municipal Wireless Plans

Written By: Steven Titch

Published In: Info Tech & Telecom News

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

Publisher: The Heartland Institute

http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=21874

 

Where's My Free Wi-Fi?

Why municipal wireless networks have been such a flop.

By Tim Wu

Posted Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007, at 12:53 PM ET

http://www.slate.com/id/2174858/pagenum/all/

 

EarthLink hangs "for sale" sign on municipal WiFi business

By Eric Bangeman | Published: February 09, 2008 - 10:02PM CT

EarthLink announced its fourth quarter earnings late last week, and it wasn't pretty. After six straight quarters of losses, the ISP has decided to exit the municipal WiFi sector and will actively look for someone to buy the business.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080...i-business.html

http://www.dailywireless.org/2008/01/09/mo...eless-problems/

 

 

New Orleans to take city-wide WiFi network offline

By Eric Bangeman | Published: October 23, 2006 - 11:22AM CT

 

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans came up with a plan to help get its communications infrastructure back up and running: a free, city-wide WiFi network. Built with equipment donated by Intel, Tropos Networks, and Pronto Networks, the Crescent City's municipal WiFi network will soon be going dark.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061023-8052.html?rel

 

 

Stay Current

Features10 Reasons Your City Should Skip Municipal Wireless

(1 Comment)There are real reasons for the cool down in municipal wifi.

http://www.dailywireless.com/features/ten-...ni-wifi-101007/

 

Ed, First, let's stop pretending that you are reasonable, rational and sane. Secondly, let's stop pretending you care anything about this other than your extremely unhealthy 0bsession with the mayor. Thirdly, let's not pretend that you are against this for any other reason than the mayor is for it. and fourth; let's not pretend that if the mayor were against it - that you would not be for it.

 

You lost credibilty long ago my freind - long long long ago.

 

[Ed Arzouian]

Ahhh..., obviously you cannot address the issues, can you.

 

No worries people can see through your reply and understand that.

 

This project will fail miserably and it will come back to bite Ryan and Abdelazim, which is fine with me. We will add it to their long list of failures

[Guest Guest]

Ahhh..., obviously you cannot address the issues, can you.

 

No worries people can see through your reply and understand that.

 

This project will fail miserably and it will come back to bite Ryan and Abdelazim, which is fine with me. We will add it to their long list of failures

 

Ed, with you, it would not mattter what I write. You are not interested in facts, not interested in debate, not interested in what is good for our city. Your only interest lies in trashing and bashing the mayor. This project could fail, it could not. I think it will be successful, cost effective and serve the city well. I have a long long list of reasons why, some of which I have written here.

 

And no - people will see my reply as a reasonable rational one, to a man who has no understanding of either of those words. You have no credibility any longer here Ed. I was one of your fans in the past, actually a friend. But your 0bsessions and tirades on here, in excess of 20,000 posts about the mayor are beyond anything that anyone else out here in the real owrld sees as anything but a very ill human being.

 

[Kermit]

Just out of curiosity, assuming you pay any taxes at all, how much of your tax money is going towards paying for this? It was my understanding that it cost $60,000. It is also my understanding it was a grant (I believe federal grant). that would mean that the $60,000 was paid for by 300 million people. Let's see now, that would mean that you pay a grand total of - less than a penny. WOW! sure you can afford that?

 

Now if just one person decides to spend an hour in a cooffee shop in downtown and has a cup of coffee and a sandwich, the sales tax alone on that purchase would be $1.20.

 

Also - just out of curiosity; ever hear of "cost benefit analysis"? It manes - measure the cost - against the benefit. Now using the above calculation, it would seem the benefit clearly out measures the cost.

 

The point is why should downtown get it free when everyone else has to pay? Yes, it is a small fraction of my tax money that would pay for it, and it surely won't break the bank, but it seems like there are more important things that the city can spend 60K on.

 

[Guest Guest]

Ed, with you, it would not mattter what I write. You are not interested in facts, not interested in debate, not interested in what is good for our city. Your only interest lies in trashing and bashing the mayor. This project could fail, it could not. I think it will be successful, cost effective and serve the city well. I have a long long list of reasons why, some of which I have written here.

 

And no - people will see my reply as a reasonable rational one, to a man who has no understanding of either of those words. You have no credibility any longer here Ed. I was one of your fans in the past, actually a friend. But your 0bsessions and tirades on here, in excess of 20,000 posts about the mayor are beyond anything that anyone else out here in the real owrld sees as anything but a very ill human being.

 

 

oh yea right

[Guest Guest]

The point is why should downtown get it free when everyone else has to pay? Yes, it is a small fraction of my tax money that would pay for it, and it surely won't break the bank, but it seems like there are more important things that the city can spend 60K on.

 

The city did not spend 60K they spent 29K - and they anticipate it would make money. in the business world, that is a good thing. Most expenses by the city are just that, expenses. this is an investment.

 

But on the one hand you are saying (or at least I think you are) that it should not be just for downtown, it should be for the entire city and on the other, saying they should not do it at all. Which is it?

 

[Guest Guest]

oh yea right

 

It is true actually, I was a friend. but no longer.

 

[Kermit]

The city did not spend 60K they spent 29K - and they anticipate it would make money. in the business world, that is a good thing. Most expenses by the city are just that, expenses. this is an investment.

 

But on the one hand you are saying (or at least I think you are) that it should not be just for downtown, it should be for the entire city and on the other, saying they should not do it at all. Which is it?

 

Not do it all. Have a couple cafe's as hot spots, just like Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, and Panera Bread. Let the residents of downtown pay for their own internet like the rest of us.

 

[Guest Guest]

Just as an FYI: The person who visits an downtown coffee shop and pays $1.40 in sales tax is not paying that to the city. Half, right off the top goes to NYS. Then the county gets its share. The city will get a mere fraction of the original sales tax collected.

 

With all that said, I'm just not sure that this wifi will work out. I don't live downtown, and pay dearly for my aRoadrunner service. Hopefully Tarik & Matt will soon see it just & fair & equitable to expand the free service to the South side.

[Guest Guest]

Not do it all. Have a couple cafe's as hot spots, just like Barnes and Noble, Starbucks, and Panera Bread. Let the residents of downtown pay for their own internet like the rest of us.

 

 

You do realize that this is only going to cost you $1.45, one time charge and will most likely make ten times that in sales tax collections alone - don't you? It is not about someone getting something for "free". It is about investing in our community in a way which increases tax collections to the degree of lowering yours. I can not think of a single program the city does that does not "spend" money getting no "return". This is the only one I know of that is actually an investment that will most likely even come close to not only paying for it's self, but making the city money.

 

Now will it work? who the hell knows, not me (I think it will, but no one has a crystal ball). But... I am willing to fork over my $1.45 to see.

[Guest Guest]

Just as an FYI: The person who visits an downtown coffee shop and pays $1.40 in sales tax is not paying that to the city. Half, right off the top goes to NYS. Then the county gets its share. The city will get a mere fraction of the original sales tax collected.

 

With all that said, I'm just not sure that this wifi will work out. I don't live downtown, and pay dearly for my aRoadrunner service. Hopefully Tarik & Matt will soon see it just & fair & equitable to expand the free service to the South side.

 

So you are against it when someone else gets it for free - but for it when you get it for free?

 

[Kermit]

You do realize that this is only going to cost you $1.45, one time charge and will most likely make ten times that in sales tax collections alone - don't you? It is not about someone getting something for "free". It is about investing in our community in a way which increases tax collections to the degree of lowering yours. I can not think of a single program the city does that does not "spend" money getting no "return". This is the only one I know of that is actually an investment that will most likely even come close to not only paying for it's self, but making the city money.

 

Now will it work? who the hell knows, not me (I think it will, but no one has a crystal ball). But... I am willing to fork over my $1.45 to see.

 

 

Ok then, if it is such a profit maker, I will sway my opinion the other way then. Provide it throughout the city, and then we all can get rid of our internet providers. We'll all save money, and if it is such a profit maker then the City will be raking in the dough with the increased usage of it.

[Guest Guest]

The city did not spend 60K they spent 29K - and they anticipate it would make money. in the business world, that is a good thing. Most expenses by the city are just that, expenses. this is an investment

 

Again either a blatant lie, a complete misrepresentation of the facts or someone posting without any knowledge on the issue at all. Last July Tarik Abdelazim admitted publicly the project would lose $15,000 and that WITH USER FEES.

 

 

Now they have cancelled the user fees.

 

How much more will it lose????

 

 

Here is Tarik explaining how the City of Binghamton would lose $15,000 on the wifi network WITH USERS FEES but that's OK with Tarik, it is not his money, it is yours. How much will it lose without user fees???

 

July 6, 2007

Section: FRONT

Edition: 1

Page: 1A

 

City officials, merchants promote benefits of wireless Internet access

Brian Liberatore

Staff

By Brian Liberatore

bliberatore@pressconnects.com

 

Press & Sun-Bulletin

 

BINGHAMTON — ...Binghamton has settled somewhere in the middle. The city plans to spend about $20,000 to expand existing wireless infrastructure downtown and pay $36,000 annually to Plexicomm, a Binghamton-based Internet company, which will maintain the service.

 

Plexicomm set up the Cyber Cafe West service.

 

The city also partnered with Plexicomm to secure grant money from the state's Wireless Community Grant program. Tariq Abdelazim, executive assistant to Mayor Matthew T. Ryan, said Plexicomm was the only local company with the infrastructure already in place. Starting a wireless network from scratch would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, he said.

 

The state this month approved the grant application and has offered $58,000 to the city to start the program. The grant requires a local match of $29,000.

 

 

With approval, Binghamton could have Wi-Fi available downtown by January 2008, according to city officials.

 

"It's a very fiscally responsible way to provide Wi-Fi to downtown," said Abdelazim. The city would collect the subscription fees, which would offset the annual $36,000 fee for maintaining the network. Abdelazim estimated the fees would cover about half the maintenance cost at first. "Is it worth $15,000 to get Wi-Fi?" he added. "Absolutely."

HOW MUCH WILL IT LOSE NOW TARIK??????

 

 

[The West Sider]

NOTHING is ever free. It always costs someone something.

 

TWS