Information Services Advisory Board
MINUTES
March 2, 2006, 5:30 p.m.
Town Hall Campus
PRCR Conference Room #11130
316 N. Academy Street, Cary, North Carolina
www.townofcary.org
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 5:32 p.m.
Introduction of Members
Present: Donna Bravo, Mark Evangelista, Lee Douglas, Steve Del Verde, Frank De Vita, Tangie Hofer, Nazi Kite (5:34), Council Liaison Julie Robison, and Staff members Bill Stice, Scott Fogleman, Susan Moran, and Teri Peralta
Also Present: Heart of Cary Association representatives Don Frantz, Sheila Ogle, John McKinney, Greg Wills, and John Tramontin
Approval of Minutes
Members approved the minutes from the February 2, 2006, meeting unanimously.
Old/New Business
a. Wireless Mesh and Wi-Fi Discussion
Ms. Bravo began with a review of wireless network considerations for the Town of Cary. She described the various types of wireless networking available such as a hotspot, WLAN (wireless local area network), and wireless mesh networks. There was a brief discussion of the technology required to establish and make use of such networks.
Ms. Bravo continued by noting that in her opinion wireless network technology allows for faster, more efficient and less expensive construction and maintenance of broadband access networks than wired connections. She went on to explain that other communities have found wireless networking has brought benefits such as: streamlined, less expensive interaction between governments and citizens; enhanced communication between teachers, students, and parents; increased positive opinion of the community by visitors, especially business travelers; and, reduced existing and anticipated government telecommunications costs.
Ms. Bravo then shared some of the disadvantages of community wireless networks that would need to be addressed, including security issues, limited range, potential lawsuits resulting from lobbying by existing Internet service providers, obsolescence and costs associated with upgrading hardware and software, and technical support costs.
Ms. Bravo went on to express what she felt the Town would need to consider in order to proceed with a community wireless network, including minimum technology standards, enhanced access, allowing the rights to mount access points and gateways, and whether this would be offered as a city service/utility or as a public/private partnership with a wireless network provider. She then cited the various cities that have implemented community wireless networks as examples, such as San Francisco, noting that more information can be found on San Francisco’s Web site.
Mr. Evangelista then introduced Mr. Stice, Director of Technology Services with the Town, to discuss his research on the subject.
Mr. Stice began by noting that providers often claim to provide up to 30 miles of coverage, but that distance could only be possible in rural areas. He explained that in populated areas the signal strength would likely be limited to a mile and a half to four or five miles due to signal interruption from buildings and trees, as well as general signal drop-off.
Mr. Stice then commented on what the Town of Apex has done with regard to Wi-Fi, explaining that Apex has had a hotspot in place for about a year now that covers about a two to three block area. He noted that it is a self-supported system, meaning that the town only gets involved when the system is down, and then they generally just power it down and back up again. Mr. Stice went on to state that it was a joint project with downtown merchants, the Town of Apex, and BellSouth.
Mr. Stice indicated that a Wi-Fi network would not be a reliable enough public safety tool to support emergency notification. He explained that the hardware would not have generator backup, so in the event of a power failure much of the hardware supporting the wireless network would stop working.
Mr. Stice went on to explain the difference between Wi-Fi traditional, wireless mesh, and Wi-Max. He stated that Wi-Fi was designed mainly for concentrated, inside building or small campus areas, and wireless mesh takes that technology a step further enabling these hotspots to ‘talk’ to each other, increasing the distance of signal area. He explained that cell phones are meshed wireless access, each cell tower being hotspot, so as you travel you are able to keep your signal as long as those towers overlap. He noted there area advantages, including continuous signal, and disadvantages, such as a larger bandwidth requirement. He then explained that Wi-Max is designed for metropolitan area networks, connecting long distances, and are less cost effective in smaller areas. Mr. Stice cited Intel as a good resource, noting that they have several White Papers that describe the differences in wireless technology. He cautioned that not all technology providers are compatible, as there has been no standardization of this technology yet. Intel is on the Wi-Max Forum, a group set up to establish standards for Wi-Max technology. Mr. Stice also noted that he will be attending a conference on this subject in April.
Mr. Evangelista thanked Mr. Stice for his presentation and expressed interest in hearing feedback from the conference. Mr. Stice said he would be happy to come back.
Mr. Evangelista then turned the meeting over to Ms. Moran to discuss results from the Town’s Biennial Survey relating to town-wide Wi-Fi. She noted that each time the survey is updated several of the questions are reserved for topics of concern in the community. This year, she explained, one of those topics was Wi-Fi in Cary. Results from the survey showed that many feel Cary should have Wi-Fi funded by public/private sponsorship. She observed that a large number of citizens think they would change their behavior if there were a Wi-Fi network in Cary, many indicating that they would spend more time in the downtown area if a Wi-Fi network was established.
Mr. Evangelista invited Ms. Robison to share her thoughts on the subject. She stated that several businesses have expressed interest in a Wi-Fi network in Cary. Ms. Robison then welcomed the Heart of Cary Association and BellSouth representatives and invited them to introduce themselves and express their goals and how they think a public/private partnership could potentially be constructed.
Mr. Frantz, Heart of Cary Association president, described the association as a cooperative of downtown merchants, property owners, business owners, and residents whose primary goal is to preserve, protect, and enhance the fundamental character and charm of downtown Cary, creating a cooperative community of businesses and residents. He explained that the association works closely with the Town and the Chamber to achieve goals important to the downtown community. He felt the downtown Cary community is a great place to get a pilot Wi-Fi program started, if not the start of something bigger.
Mr. Franz continued by stating that the association feels a downtown Wi-Fi program is an economic development incentive that should be pursued as a key component of the Town Center Area, noting that their information agrees with the biennial survey stating people will change their habits based on wireless Internet access. He then mentioned that the Heart of Cary Association has been in talks with a couple of companies in the hopes of getting a starter program off the ground.
Ms. Ogle was given an opportunity to introduce herself. She is a member of the Heart of Cary Association, and she expressed a desire to encourage economic development in downtown Cary, notably by getting a downtown Wi-Fi program in place. She introduced John McKinney of BellSouth, who said that BellSouth is interested in partnering with the Heart of Cary to initiate a downtown Wi-Fi program like the one in Apex, as well as assisting the Association in obtaining financial resources. Mr. McKinney then introduced Mr. Wills, Solutions Architect for BellSouth. Mr. Wills stated that he has toured the downtown Cary area to get a feel for where and how this project could come together. Mr. Tramontin, District Sales Manger for BellSouth in Raleigh, indicated that his primary responsibility is state and local government. He expressed appreciation for the chance to be involved in these discussions. He also pointed out that BellSouth has some great resources that they would like to make available to the Town. Mr. Tramontin explained that they would still need to do more data gathering in order to get a better understanding of the scope and size of what the Town would like to implement.
Ms. Robison noted that this was really an introductory meeting, stating that if this is to be pursued as a public/private partnership, there will be more work ahead. She explained that more details would need to be addressed, including determining budget implications and the defining the scope of a potential partnership. Ms. Robison conveyed the need for council direction for this issue moves forward, and Ms. Moran reminded Ms. Robison of the “pink sheet” process for getting issues like this before the Council for their direction.
Ms. Bravo commented that the survey results did not take into account the impact a downtown Wi-Fi program would have on visitors to the area. She noted that several large companies in the area have people visiting from all over world who may like to e-mail their family while at a local restaurant.
Comments
a. Statement of Findings
The topic of wireless networking in the Town of Cary was reintroduced for discussion. We heard from Town staff about their experience and knowledge. The Heart of Cary Association representatives shared their expectations for the future and what efforts that would require. BellSouth staff expressed interest in partnering with the Heart of Cary to develop a downtown Cary wireless program. Ms. Moran presented results of the Biennial Survey questions pertaining to wireless networking, and Ms. Robison stated her intention of taking the matter of Wi-Fi to the full council.
b. Citizen comments
Mr. Stice mentioned the possibility that a Technology for the Future forum will be held in Cary later in the year featuring a group of discussion focusing on what government needs to do in technology and technology areas in future. He explained that members of the scientific, health, and business communities, and others, would be invited to participate in a roundtable discussion. Mr. Stice noted that this forum would be held in the Cary Town Council Chambers.
c. Member comments
Ms. Robison took a moment to thank members for their hard work, making this a very productive meeting. Mr. Evangelista also expressed appreciation for the many hours of research that was brought to the table. Ms. Moran reminded members that the next meeting would focus on the results of the Biennial Survey.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 6:43 p.m.
The next meeting of the ISAB will be held on Tuesday, April 11, 2006, at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Large Conference Room, 316 N. Academy Street, Cary.