[Archived] City of Alexandria Officially Launches “Wireless Alexandria”

City Press Release


	For Immediate Release	For More Information, Contact
	August 2, 2005 PIO# 244-05/rdo	Steven J. Mason, Public Information Officer, or Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300 Raynard Owens, Communications Officer, at 703.838.4300

City of Alexandria Officially Launches “Wireless Alexandria”
First Free, Outdoor, Wireless Internet Zone in DC Metro Area

The City of Alexandria is officially launching “Wireless Alexandria” today, marking the formal kickoff of the region’s first free, outdoor, wireless Internet zone. This new service allows any user with a wireless device to access the Internet at no charge.

The goals of the one-year pilot project are to provide a convenient public service to users, stimulate economic development and tourism by drawing people to Alexandria, promote the image of Alexandria as a high-tech community, and test the feasibility of using wireless devices for municipal operations.

“This is really a win-win situation,” said Alexandria Mayor William Euille. “Rarely do we have the opportunity to let the public use the same equipment we will be testing for government use. We hope that this cutting-edge service will attract people to Alexandria while helping them access all the Internet has to offer.”

The current outdoor coverage area is centered along the King Street corridor in Old Town between Washington Street and the waterfront, including Market Square and the City Marina. Depending on building locations and other conditions, coverage is available for some distance around that corridor in each direction. If the pilot project is successful, coverage may be expanded to other public spaces and pedestrian corridors in the City. Wireless Alexandria is also available at all Alexandria public library branches.

The service is optimized for outdoor use. Although some indoor users may be able to connect to the system, the service is not intended to compete with commercially available Internet service and should not replace existing home or business Internet access. The network is not secured, which means that sensitive personal or financial information sent across the network will not be encrypted. Commercial Internet service is more appropriate for these types of uses.

“Our project is very narrowly tailored to serve a unique outdoor area of our city,” said E-Government Manager Craig Fifer. “Wireless Alexandria has virtually no impact on commercial Internet service providers, and we are pleased that Alexandria’s two largest providers have each said they have no objection to the service.”

Wireless Alexandria is available to anyone using a "Wi-Fi"-enabled laptop or personal digital assistant (PDA). Wi-Fi devices (also known as 802.11 devices) can connect to the Internet wirelessly, without the need for any cords, cables, or special software. Many new laptops and PDAs come standard with Wi-Fi capability. Laptops (and some PDAs) without the feature can be upgraded inexpensively.

The initial cost of the necessary equipment was less than $14,000, with an ongoing monthly cost of $650 for Internet bandwidth. The project was funded by Alexandria’s Information Technology Plan, which is part of the City’s capital improvement program.

For more information on Wireless Alexandria, e-mail Craig Fifer, the City’s E-Government Manager, at craig.fifer@alexandriava.gov or call 703.838.6333, extension 537.

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