Lawrence officials discuss going wireless.
By: Lea Kahn
The township’s Cable Telecommunications Advisory Committee has agreed to study the feasibility of providing municipal wireless Internet network services known informally as WiFi in Lawrence Township.
WiFi allows various portable electronic devices, such as laptop computers, to access the Internet without having to be plugged into a wall jack or another piece of equipment. In a WiFi network, data travels from place to place by means of radio waves, although a wireless router must still be connected to a modem, according to the Web site www.electronics.howstuffworks.com.
The Cable Telecommunications Advisory Committee, which was asked to undertake the WiFi project by Township Council, expects to present a draft report of its findings at its Sept. 17 meeting. The advisory committee decided Monday night to undertake the study.
Township Council adopted a resolution at its July 17 meeting to ask the committee to perform the study. The resolution, which was adopted unanimously, was suggested by Councilwoman Pam Mount.
"The main motivation is to make the town as connected to the Internet as possible for everyone who wants access to the Internet," Ms. Mount said Tuesday morning. She said several people have approached her and asked her about setting up a municipal WiFi system.
The Cable Telecommunications Advisory Committee study may outline the various ways in which the township might use or implement WiFi, committee chairman Bernard Lechner said Monday night. It may study the pros and cons of WiFi, including the cost of setting up the system and maintaining it. In some municipalities, an outside provider handles all the details.
The study also may examine what other municipalities are doing, Mr. Lechner said. The study may explore where it would be possible to provide WiFi, such as public buildings and parks. It could be provided in the Municipal Building and the Lawrence Senior Center, for example.
Committee member Bill Michaelson said the issue of establishing a municipal WiFi system is not so much a technological one, but a philosophical or social question. He referred to Philadelphia’s WiFi system, which has made Internet access available to low-income households at a reduced rate.
"Look at Philadelphia," Mr. Michaelson said. "(Municipal WiFi) is to serve underserved (families). Or is WiFi a convenience for citizens (who want to sit in the park and use their laptop computers)."
Philadelphia has taken the first steps toward creating a municipal WiFi system, according to the Web site, www.wirelessphiladelphia.org. The citywide wireless network is expected to be completed by late fall. Wireless Internet service is being provided by EarthLink, a nationwide provider.

