Summit NJ’s plans for a municipal Wi-Fi
Summit NJ is a small town that is similar in many ways to Red Bank. Over a year ago Summit started formally looking into municipal Wi-Fi by forming a committee to research the topic. In May, after much hard work by their Wi-Fi committee, Summit put out a public Request For Information (RFI) on construction of a muni Wi-Fi.
Here is Summit’s “Vision” taken from their RFI
The City of Summit envisions selecting a commercial vendor to plan, install and operate a wireless broadband networking environment throughout the City where our citizens and businesses, community service and non-profit organizations, -- whether operating in their homes, places of business, in open spaces such as parks, recreation areas, and throughout our downtown business district – have reliable, always available, high speed wireless “ready access” to the Internet at reasonable costs. The City of Summit views this project as an opportunity to provide Internet access for its citizens throughout the city while reducing the City’s communications costs, improving the delivery services to residents and improving access to City Hall. The project will increase consumer choice and affordability while promoting digital inclusion for families who cannot currently afford internet access or any access at all. At the same time the Principle Vendor we seek will recommend profit sharing and revenue generating opportunities for the City of Summit. However, the City expects that the full cost of the project will be borne by the selected Principle Vendor, without any City funding.
Their 12 page RFI goes into more detail and it can be read by clicking on this link
I have contacted Summit and asked them what Verizon’s response to their plan has been. Summit’s project admisitrator told me that they have asked Verizon to respond to their RFI and she feels that Verizon can see that the train has left the station and it makes no sense to oppose muni Wi-Fi’s; I hope she is right. I’ll be following Summit’s progress closely with an eye towards what we in Red Bank can learn from them.
