Probably the most commonly asked question that shows up in my Inbox concerns Decatur’s wifi.  Some people mistake me for the city and ask if they can advertise on the homepage (yes, please send cash to…), while others don’t understand how/where to sign up (HERE is the answer) and empty-handed reporters write to me for possible contacts to talk about the service.

My own experience with the service is limited, since the wifi polls on my street aren’t that close to my house and because of all the trees in my neighborhood, I can only get a really weak signal out on my front porch (nothing inside).  And before you ask…no, I haven’t tried ordering a wifi modem from Get The Speed to see if the indoor signal would improve enough to rule my Comcast Highspeed Internet obsolete.

So what does this all boil down to?

Well, I’m curious to know who out there is using Decatur’s new citywide wifi regularly and what you think of it.  I’d love to hear from the folks that use the free 128k signal and the “high speed” signal, both inside their home and out on the town.  Thanks in advance!

Since a few folks have voiced concern about the completion of Decatur’s city-wide wi-fi, I asked the city for a status update. Asst. City Manager Andrea Arnold was good enough to write up a response within a few hours…how’s that for service!

The City rolled out the network service in phases with the core downtown and Agnes Scott College being in phase I and the Ponce de Leon corridor being phase II. The remaining areas fall into phase III which is much more difficult to service than phases I and II due to foliage, topography and a general lack of tall facilities on which to place the wireless radios.

In fact, due to the challenges we encountered in phase III, Cisco engineers have been in the city for the past few weeks making adjustments to the wireless radios and the related software. This work has been pretty disruptive to the overall network and has resulted in service outages and intermittant signals. The bottom line is that there are about 12 more wireless radios that need to be installed, additional antennae need to be installed to cover deadspots where possible, and testing needs to be performed.

Barring any unforeseen problems, the network should be operational by early October, if not sooner. This is later than anticipated, but considering this network is the first of its kind in the State, the delays are understandable in hindsight. The City approached this project as ‘wireless pioneers’ with the intent to serve as a model for other communities that are interested in implementing wireless networks. We certainly have a long list of lessons learned and advice for other communities across the country who may be embarking on similar projects.

…the signal will not be broadcasting consistently until the whole network is up and running in early October. So, folks will want to wait a few weeks before running outside with their laptops.

If people would like more information on the network, there is information on the website at www.wirelessdecaturga.com or they may email me directly at .

[Decatur Metro doesn't condone running with laptops. Please exercise responsibly.]

An article on The Story Atlanta seems to think so.

I’m still a bit up in the air on the whole “should government be involved in spreading the wifi wealth?” question. I’d like to see how well the full service works when it comes out of the beta phase and is extended through the entire city, before issuing my opinion to the blogo-ether.

I do think that many people are inclined to this idea, because they have an Utopian view of people spread out in the sun, enjoying YouTube videos on their Macbooks while sipping frappachinos and playing frisbee. If this view can be achieved by a local government and not a private company is yet to be seen.

Does anyone know how fast Decatur’s Wi-Fi will be? Is it A, B, G, N??

Perhaps I should do a little digging on other cities with wifi. The article references struggling networks in St. Cloud, FL and Portland, OR. Perhaps there are also successful examples?

Hattip: InDecatur