New Orleans to Build Wi-Fi Network

The city of New Orleans plans to offer free Wi-Fi Internet access to its citizens within a year, Mayor Ray Nagin announced on Tuesday. While most of the network's bandwidth will be marked for use by emergency responders, the remaining capacity would be opened up to the public.

The idea for a wireless network is not new to the Big Easy. The city was already using a small system to monitor security cameras in areas of high crime.

At the moment, New Orleans plans to run the network itself, however a decision has not been made about bringing in an outside company to run the completed system. The network is currently operating across the French Quarter and the once flood-ravaged Central Business District, with plans to expand it further next year.

Nagin said the Wi-Fi network will initially be used as a way for businesses and residents to connect to the Internet while repairs continue on the city's heavily damaged telephone network. The mayor added that the move is to also assure the city and the nation, "that we are building New Orleans back."

Download speeds of 512kbps and upload speeds of 384kbps will be made available to each user initially. However, due to a Louisiana law that prohibits municipalities from offering high-speed Internet services, the download speed will be cut by a quarter when the citywide State of Emergency is lifted.

City officials have signaled that they plan to challenge the law.

Tropos Networks, the same company that is providing equipment for the Philadelphia Wi-Fi buildout, will also provide equipment for the New Orleans network. The city plans to use mesh technology to pass Internet access from transmitter to transmitter.

Expected cost of the network has not been disclosed.