Honolulu Chinatown Rolls Out Free Wi-Fi

Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann announced the successful deployment of Phase 1 of the Chinatown Municipal Wireless Project: "This is the result of a unique grass-roots approach to the delivery of free municipal wireless Internet access, which augments existing free wireless Honolulu hot zones that we started in the parks, Neal Blaisdell Exhibition Hall and the ground floor of the Frank Fasi Municipal Building" stated Hannemann in a release.

The Chinatown Project is part of the mayor's Chinatown economic revitalization project and is the result of a private/public partnership with locally based company Kokua Wireless. "This is an exciting project for us. It enables us to look at numerous business models, and test various economic opportunities" stated Mr. Aryn Nakaoka , president of Kokua Wireless.

Presently coverage can be within eight square blocks bordered by Beretania, King St., Smith St., and Bethel St. "I particularly like this approach," stated Gordon Bruce, director, Department of Information Technology and CIO for the city and county of Honolulu, "because it involves partnering with members in the business community. All that they are required to do is place a small antenna or repeater in the window of their business. The antennas then do the work of searching out others that were put in the grid with access to a gateway to the Internet. "We are seeing almost 100 users on the network within a 24-hour period already, with the official announcement today."

"I look forward to watching the system expand not only in Chinatown but in the surrounding areas such as downtown," said Hannemann.

For a listing of shops that have placed in their businesses' free antenna connected to the grid, contact Kokua Wireless. For more information, check out this newscast video. KW