"As part of our commitment to the revitalization of Chinatown, we are happy to partner with EarthLink to bring new capabilities and to stimulate economic development in this community," said Mayor Hannemann.
"The city will also be testing new public-safety technologies that the Wi-Fi environment makes possible," the mayor added. "We hope the result will be a safer and more economically vibrant Chinatown."
As a unique feature of this Honolulu project, EarthLink will partner with Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) to provide connectivity to test a variety of utility applications, including advanced electric metering and energy conservation initiatives..
"Broadband Wi-Fi has potential to enable applications that can result in better service for our customers and future, new customer offerings," said Karl Stahlkopf, senior vice president for energy solutions and chief technology officer for HECO. "We look forward to being an active partner with EarthLink and the City in this progressive program."
"This pilot project provides the city not only the ability to test and evaluate the technology for present and future needs, but also to work through the various legal and administrative processes," said Gordon Bruce, the city's CIO.
The Chinatown Wi-Fi demonstration project will begin later this summer and continue for approximately one year.
