Monroe Students spread wi-fi

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: "John F. McMullen" <observer () westnet com>
Date: June 23, 2006 8:33:57 AM EDT
To: "johnmac's living room" <johnmacsgroup () yahoogroups com>
Cc: CardinalFarley List <CardinalFarley () yahoogroups com>, All Hallows  
Class of 1956 <ah56 () yahoogroups com>, Dewayne Hendricks  
<dewayne () warpspeed com>, Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>,  
Commonweal Mailing List <commonweal () yahoogroups com>
Subject: Monroe Students spread wi-fi

From the New York Daily News -- http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/ 
story/429005p-361758c.html

Students spread wi-fi
Tech wizards bridge digital divide in city
BY BILL EGBERT

Increasing numbers of city residents will be able to surf the Web  
while they dunk their doughnuts, thanks to technology students at a  
Bronx college.

Students in Monroe College's advanced wireless technology course are  
installing wireless Internet connections at several locations in the  
Bronx and upper Manhattan, including a Dunkin' Donuts in the east Bronx.

Last semester, they installed wi-fi in Manhattan's Stuyvesant Park,  
and at a Harlem coffee shop.

"It's good experience for them in a cutting-edge job," said their  
professor, John McMullen. "And it's a service to the community as well."

Not only will the Web access be free to anyone with a wi-fi-ready  
laptop, the installation and equipment are essentially free to the  
hot spot hosts.

While the students earn college credits, the hardware is donated by  
NYCwireless, a nonprofit promoting free wi-fi access in the city.

"The Monroe College students have done a lot of really important  
work," said Dana Spiegel, executive director of NYCwireless.

"They're really plugged into their community. They're the ones who  
know where the best places will be for new hot spots. They also help  
involve the community, which is crucial."

While City Hall is lagging far behind cities such as Chicago and  
Philadelphia in backing citywide wi-fi networks, small-scale  
initiatives like Monroe's and SoBRO's new hot spot at the HUB are  
starting to fill the gap - to the delight of local businesses left on  
the wrong side of the digital divide.

"We're really excited about it," said Billy Gonzales, owner of  
Billy's Deli & Grocery at 83 West Fordham Road, due to be wired  
shortly. "Our customers are excited too. I think it'll be good for  
business."

Other spots the class will turn hot this year include the Dunkin'  
Donuts on Boston Road and Burke Ave. in the Bronx, Java's Brewin'  
Coffee Shop in Harlem, Coogan's Restaurant in Washington Heights and  
Little Hands Day Care in Brooklyn.

Monroe's first collaboration with NYCwireless - wiring Stuyvesant  
Park in Manhattan - was a first in more ways than one. The hot spot  
was installed in conjunction with alternative energy nonprofit  
SolarOne, and is the first solar-powered wireless access in the New  
York area.

An interactive map of free wi-fi hot spots throughout the metro area  
can be found at http://www.nycwireless.net.

Bronx businesses interested in being wired as a public hot spot can  
contact McMullen at johnmac () acm org.

All contents  2006 Daily News, L.P
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   "When you come to the fork in the road, take it" - L.P. Berra
   "Always make new mistakes" -- Esther Dyson
   "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from  
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    -- Sir Arthur C. Clarke
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                          John F. McMullen
   johnmac () acm org johnmac13 () gmail com johnmac () sdf lonestar org
       johnmac@panix johnmac () echonyc com johnmac13 () mac com
jmcmullen () monroecollege edu johnmac () alumni iona edu  
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