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Decatur, Ala., May Offer Downtown Wi-Fi

The network would be a significant step in improving the city's image as it seeks to recruit young professionals.

(TNS) -- Outdoor dining, 3rd Fridays, performances at the amphitheater and other downtown events could get a wireless boost if tentative plans to turn downtown Decatur into a Wi-Fi hot spot go forward.

"We've got a plan almost together to bring downtown into the Wi-Fi generation without having any real expense to the citizenry," Mayor Don Kyle said.

Brad Phillips, city information services director, said he heard an interest in the concept from the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce and Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Authority, and it occurred to him the cost might not be prohibitive.

"It's going to be a relatively inexpensive project," Phillips said. "It's possible we could cover Second Avenue for under $1,000."

Phillips said the cost depends on the coverage area and how many people are expected to use it.

"Technically it's not going to be difficult. It's just a matter of figuring out the area we want to cover and who's going to pay for what part of it," Phillips said. "Nowadays Wi-Fi is pretty ubiquitous in a lot of places. I don't know that it's a big selling point. It's almost expected by everybody. When you go someplace without Wi-Fi, you're surprised."

Phillips said he definitely wants to run fiber for Internet to the old L&N Railroad depot after it's renovated, as well as at the Old State Bank.

"That would allow us to have Wi-Fi at Founders' Park," Phillips said. "I suspect we would want to try to cover the entire entertainment district."

Tom Counts, president of 3-GIS, said downtown Wi-Fi would be a significant step in improving the city's image as it seeks to recruit young professionals, a constant challenge for his technology firm.

"My employees are always connected," Counts said. "I monitor our Wi-Fi here (at the 3-GIS office). I've got 47 employees and I show 90 WiFi connections. So they have multiple devices that are talking to our network all the time."

Counts said his employees pay attention to Wi-Fi access, in part because it saves them from using Internet data from their mobile phone service.

"It would be meaningful to them," Counts said. "If they go to any restaurant, they have their tablet with them and their phone. I think downtown Wi-Fi would be important to them.

"Are we a connected city? Are we a modern city? My guys are very aware of these things."

Phillips said a Wi-Fi base would be installed downtown, along with repeaters to provide a strong signal throughout the coverage area. The repeaters' coverage areas would overlap, so people could walk from one area to another without losing the signal.

While Wi-Fi access points can cover up to 2,000 feet, Phillips said he is studying much-less expensive devices that cover 300 to 600 feet. They cost about $100 each, he said.

One of the issues Phillips is evaluating is how many people would use Wi-Fi, as that determines how strong a signal would be needed.

"Maybe we can get 600 feet, but how many people can that support on it?" Phillips said. "Once you get too many people on it, your signal degrades for everybody."

Wi-Fi throughout downtown would be a way to build on other efforts to improve the area, Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce President John Seymour said.

"We have a lot of students downtown now," Seymour said, because of the Alabama Center for the Arts. "This fall I was always seeing them sitting on the benches with their sack lunch. Wi-Fi could create an atmosphere encouraging that, and it could encourage sidewalk dining."

©2014 The Decatur Daily (Decatur, Ala.)