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McMinnville gets free wireless net downtown |
Published: July 11, 2006
By LAURENT L.N. BONCZIJK
Of the News Register
McMinnville has joined the growing roster of American cities with free wireless Internet access in its downtown core.
And unlike many counterparts elsewhere, the city didn't have to invest a dime in its new downtown Wi-Fi bubble. A pair of nodes extending coverage up and down Third Street was installed by Online Northwest, the region's only remaining independent Internet access provider, at its own expense.
President Patrick Fuchs said the new network was being activated in conjunction with this year's Turkey Rama celebration, which opens Thursday and runs through Saturday. The event, McMinnville's largest, typically attracts thousands of visitors to McMinnville's historic downtown district.
Earlier this year, Corvallis installed a free downtown Wi-Fi network at city expense, as a public utility investment. However, access is limited to a handful of popular e-mail, search and portal sites, like Google and Yahoo.
The only immediate restriction Online Northwest is imposing is a one-hour limit on continuous log-in time, according to Chief Operating Officer Kathy Tate. If response is sufficient positive, the free service area may be extended to city park or other parts of the community at some point, she said.
Fuchs said the nodes had been installed on private buildings with the owners' consent. He said each features a range of about 1,200 feet.
Reception of the free service should be better outdoors than indoors, and can be expected to vary somewhat from location to location, he said. He said Online Northwest plans to keep the basic service free, but to eventually add a speedier, more robust layer on a fee basis.
Cindy Stinson-Chennell, associated with the Currents Gallery Co-Op, said she thought it was a brilliant idea.
Lots of people have laptops these days, she said, and travelers are always looking for free Wi-Fi sites they can log into. She said she felt it would be a plus for Third Street.
John Currie, chef at the newly reopened Trask brewery, was more guarded.
"Conceptually, I think it's a great idea," he said. "I just don't know if the public is going to take advantage of it."
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