WiFi for everyone!
This week, mayor Helen Berg presided over a minor little ceremony in the Book Bin downtown, officially launching free wireless internet access (WiFi) in Corvallis.
For now, within a region spanning the waterfront to 5th Street, Highway 34 and Harrison Blvd, anyone with a laptop and a wireless card can log onto the internet and check email or look up local restaurants. There will be no downloading porn on the city's dime, however, as access is limited to a relatively small selection of websites. For $5 per day, or for a monthly fee ranging from $10 to $39, residents and visitors can have unlimited access.
The WiFi service will be provided by Alyrica, a Philomath company. Larger companies like Comcast (boo Comcast) briefly considered delving into free WiFi, but apparently panicked when they realized that this would make it a bit more difficult to gouge customers. Alyrica plans to expand the region of WiFi access, first to NW 9th Street and the Oregon State campus, then later to other parts of town. They also plan a partnership with OSU that will allow students to access their ONID accounts for free.
This whole plan makes me giddy, and I don't even have a wireless card!
For now, within a region spanning the waterfront to 5th Street, Highway 34 and Harrison Blvd, anyone with a laptop and a wireless card can log onto the internet and check email or look up local restaurants. There will be no downloading porn on the city's dime, however, as access is limited to a relatively small selection of websites. For $5 per day, or for a monthly fee ranging from $10 to $39, residents and visitors can have unlimited access.
The WiFi service will be provided by Alyrica, a Philomath company. Larger companies like Comcast (boo Comcast) briefly considered delving into free WiFi, but apparently panicked when they realized that this would make it a bit more difficult to gouge customers. Alyrica plans to expand the region of WiFi access, first to NW 9th Street and the Oregon State campus, then later to other parts of town. They also plan a partnership with OSU that will allow students to access their ONID accounts for free.
This whole plan makes me giddy, and I don't even have a wireless card!
posted by Corvallist at
7:58 PM
2 Comments:
I'm very excited about this- though not about the limited websites. I'll have to go check out how much they allow. There were enough coffee shops downtown that have free wifi already i wasn't worried. However, this does make Old World Deli that much cooler!
By
Clinton, at 9:18 PM
I am clueless as to why this is good. Could someone explain it? It's just a few websites, right? And most people don't have laptops, at least not people in the crowd I've known and know who live in Corvallis. In fact the concept makes me laugh. Perhaps we would be classified as the wrong side of the tracks crowd. But still, I don't believe in the myth that there are people with money out there. I don't know any, have never known any, sure, I hear rumors of people that have enough money (and wireless capable laptops), but I don't believe these people really exist. It's a myth, I'm sure of it.
By
Anonymous, at 11:39 PM
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