The Austin Wireless City Project (AWCP) was born out of need.
Austin, Texas, was home to a robust band of wireless enthusiasts who believed in free wireless for everyone everywhere. But the group was unorganized and lacked critical elements. The free Wi-Fi movement was in danger of floundering before it had a chance to grow.
As the AWCP took form in late 2002 and early 2003, that began to change.
The AWCP, which included volunteers from a local wireless user group and a number of small technology companies, devised a "free Wi-Fi business model," where the venue pays for the Internet connection and an inexpensive access point, and the AWCP takes care of the volunteer labor necessary to install and maintain the community wireless hotspot network, donated equipment (in some cases), and the gateway software, which registers users, manages the venue's wireless offering and links the hotspots together.
All three ingredients, as well as a subtle sales approach, are necessary to making such a project work. It is important to review these ingredients in depth.
Volunteer Base
First, the project was helped by a groundswell of interest in wireless technology in the greater Austin area. In many ways, Austin is a leader in this area, with more than 80 emerging wireless companies, according to a pending economic development report from the University of Texas (UT) called Wireless Future.
Some of the better known companies are Wayport, which provides fee-based wireless networks at airports and hotels all over the country; and Buffalo Technology Inc., one of the world's largest vendors of Wi-Fi equipment. The Wi-Fi Alliance, the standards organization that coined the term "Wi-Fi," recently moved its headquarters to Austin from California's Silicon Valley.
It doesn't hurt that the UT campus in Austin, with more than 50,000 students, is one of the largest in the country. The university recently demonstrated its commitment to wireless technology by luring guru/researcher/entrepreneur Ted Rappaport to head its Wireless Networking and Communications Group. Rappaport's presence has added fuel to an already combustible level of interest in wireless technology in Austin.
Finally the Austin Wireless Group, one of the nation's most active wireless user groups, has been an invaluable resource and crucible for small Wi-Fi startups. Its discussion list and monthly meetings have been forums for wireless enthusiasts and professionals for nearly three years.
With a ready base of volunteers and experts, the key task for the AWCP was to build a free Wi-Fi community network in Austin by linking community-mindedness with the spirit of private enterprise.
Business Case
The free Wi-Fi business model succeeds when as many small businesses as possible profit. Unlike classic fee-based models where a large out-of-town telecom giant pockets all the gains, the community-based model keeps locally generated revenues in the communities that generated them.
For instance, to provide free Wi-Fi at Opal Divine's, a popular bar and restaurant, a number of local businesses needed to work together. Midas Networks did the cabling. A small consultancy was paid $50 to install a router. Another company was paid to make coasters that said "Free WiFi here." Opal Divine's ordered more food and beer from its local suppliers to feed the new Wi-Fi customers, who bought the food and beer, and paid new tips to the wait staff.
Local startup Less Networks provides the software and services that power the hotspot, and pays Midas Networks to host its facilities. The firm Hackney Communications provides public relations, getting them coverage in local papers and national trades.
Even the big boys make out in the community model. Kinko's made the vinyl sign hanging outside that says "Free WiFi here." CompUSA sold Opal Divine's the wireless access point. Local access-point maker Buffalo sold CompUSA the access point. Finally telecom giant SBC sold Opal Divine's the business class DSL connection.
Kinko's, CompUSA, Buffalo and SBC combine to employ hundreds of Austinites, and let's not forget the enterprising guy who peddles the bright orange T-shirts that say, "Keep WiFi Free. Keep Austin Wireless."
The circle is complete when local technical schools provide students as network installation interns in exchange for valuable hands-on experience, and job seekers want to volunteer as network support personnel to beef up their resumes. The AWCP transforms the community from consumers of a corporate-delivered service into creators of a locally provided service, and from Wi-Fi users into high-tech educators and trainers in the wireless industry.
The AWCP helps raise the profile of its volunteers and participating companies by sharing the limelight with them. They are prominently featured in press releases and on the Web site with their "Partners in Free WiFi" program. Going forward, the program aims to provide even greater visibility to those partners who contribute support financially.
More than a Hotspot
Part of the AWCP's success is based on the vision of not deploying "just another hotspot." Though any free Wi-Fi hotspot is better than none at all, the AWCP recognizes that a network of hotspots is better than a bunch of access points hooked up to loads of broadband modems, much like a network of computers is superior to a room full of stand-alone computers.
To this end, the AWCP needed a solution that would allow them to provide smart or "hotter" hotspots to their venues. Software-enhanced hotspots could enable critical features like venue-branding, usage tracking and network monitoring, while providing bonuses like venue-to-venue chat, find-a-user, venue-specific bulletin boards and find-a-hotspot.
Unfortunately volunteer organizations typically cannot afford such software, which led to the creation of Less Networks in early 2003. Less Networks recognized that Austin was probably not alone in its desire to spread free Wi-Fi throughout its communities. Though it was clear there was a free Wi-Fi business model, it was unclear who could pay for the gateway software.
The solution, Less Networks decided, was to give it away. To do this, the company of 10 Wi-Fi enthusiasts (more resembling a garage band than a corporation) relied heavily on open source software -- such as Linux, Apache, MySQL, Perl, NoCatAuth and PostNuke -- to build a no-cost solution with all the frills of pricier alternatives.
Today, the software and associated services are available only through the AWCP, the official beta tester. In January, it was set to become freely available to anyone who wants to download it from the Less Networks Web site.
Donated Equipment
To run the gateway software, a dedicated PC is needed for every venue, but because the hardware requirements are so low, a used PC will suffice. All that's needed is a Pentium-class computer with at least 32 MB of memory, 500 MB of storage, two network interface cards and a CD-ROM drive. No keyboard or monitor is necessary after installation.
One of the AWCP's first tasks was to let the community know there was a need for used PCs. The message was a simple, "It ain't dead yet. Don't throw it away. Give it to us, and we'll put it back into the community providing free Wi-Fi."
Before long, the AWCP was swimming in PCs.
Ironically the most expensive out-of-pocket cost for an installation is that of the wireless access point. Typically about $100 each, the AWCP is unable to bear the expense and must pass it to the venue. So far, no venue has balked at the cost, considering how much attention they receive from volunteers and customers during and after installation.
The AWCP made tremendous strides in 2003.
The project's network extends to more than a dozen restaurants, coffee shops and bookstores in Austin. With the free Wi-Fi business model, everyone gets to make a buck, everyone is happy, and Austin gets an innovative community-owned and operated free Wi-Fi network.
The network spreads when other cool venues say, "Hey, we want free Wi-Fi too!" In its first three months of operation, the AWCP enrolled 19 venues and registered more than 1,500 users.
