Wifi Revolution

The City of Pittsburgh has launched its wireless Internet access service within its downtown Central Business District.  Now, people who visit, work, or live in the downtown area will have access to the Internet via some 60 WiFi (News - Alert) access points throughout the area — including fans of the Super Bowl champion Steelers who want to check their fantasy stats from a game at Heinz Field.  To officially launch the service, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership President and CEO Michael Edwards officially activated it from the steps of the City-County Building.  

 

“Wireless Internet access gives Downtown residents, workers, and visitors the chance to enjoy all Downtown has to offer by being able to log onto the Internet at a cafe, a restaurant, a park or even the football stadium,” said Edwards. “It’s our hope that being connected will give Downtown a greater sense of neighborhood, community and cohesiveness.”

 

WiFi Downtown Pittsburgh, as the network will be called, is powered by US Wireless Online, which owns and operates one of the nation’s largest wireless Internet broadband networks, covering significant portions of Alabama, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania.

 

 

US Wireless Online provides wireless high-speed Internet access and networking solutions to businesses, hotels, apartment buildings, and public areas within its operating areas, providing a complete turnkey solution — including installation, equipment, monitoring, service, and security.  Among its areas of expertise is state of the art Internet access and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) infrastructure, which is has put to use in deploying WiFi Downtown Pittsburgh.

 

The company also partners with several well-known and respected names in the communications space, which ensures its customers get the best products available.  Among its partners are Cisco, Alvarion (News - Alert), Trango Broadband Wireless, Crown Castle, and more — all of them make it possible for USWO to provide high quality carrier grade networking services.  Indeed, this installation is not only ready to provide Internet access today, but is also capable of handling increasingly popular services like VoIP and other future applications.  With the advent of dual mode WiFi/cellular handsets, this will become and increasingly popular means to make VoIP calls when outside the office.

 

WiFi Downtown Pittsburgh is unique in that is will offer two hours of free usage to users, who can access the network any time, outdoors, in the Central Business District, North Shore, and Lower Hill District.  They simply need to select WiFi Pittsburgh on their wireless device and are free to use the service for two hours free of charge.

 

Following the two free hours, USWO offers various service tiers including US Wireless Online DayConnect, which provides usage at a higher bandwidth and can be purchased in increments of $7.99 per day, $14.99 per month, or $119.99 per year.

 

Pittsburgh is not the only city — even on the State of Pennsylvania — deploying WiFi facilities.  To find out about wireless opportunities for your municipality, business, or even home, be sure to attend INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO in San Diego, October 10-13, 2006.

 

 

 

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