My 2012 Post Highland County Economic Development Department Solution Reblog

I'm reblogging this post I wrote in late 2012. It was an outline on how to refund a County Economic Development Department. The Goal was to receive buy in from the communities. This idea would develop a strategic foundation for future growth, as well as offer a built in measurement tool. Each Community would be asked to provide funding and in return would have individual projects that are important for the community development, economic development and strategic growth. More detail withing the post below.

Jeremy Shaffer, County Commissioner

 

 

REBLOG FROM My Post on My Older County Commissioner Blog 10/2/2012

Outline of Highland County Economic Development Department Solutions

The following is an outline of creating an Economic and Community Development Department in Highland County. It is a work tool, and does not offer every solution, however it is a draft of what some of the solutions may look like. Economic and Community Development is important to many aspects of Highland County. It affects employment, quality of life, safety, and health.

I believe the Commission should take the lead in developing a Department that doesn't just include all the Municipalities and communities within the county, but a Economic and Community Development Department that each community and organization can take ownership in.

It is sensible for the commission to develop this now, and it is an opportunity to show the rest of Ohio, how it can be done from the grassroots level. We all know what our communities need here on the local level, and it doesn't need to be dictated from the State or Federal Government. Though in order to show the upper management just that, we must take this opportunity to prove it.

The outline below is a work tool, and needs to be changed and grow. I would welcome additions and ideas that are real solutions to Economic Development. The beginning is a short history, which needs more information so that we can see where the County came from.

The following section briefly covers, groups and government organizations that the County takes some ownership in. Below that are the Economic Development contacts surrounding Highland County.

There are a few solutions, that are put together to guide future discussion. I currently like the option that has Communities and the County sharing in responsibility and funding for a Development Department. Lastly there are a few statements of what we may attempt to attain, and look for through this process. This is a process to create and organize a true driver for Community and Economic Development in Highland County, Ohio.

Economic Development is Important to Highland County Citizens and Businesses

Highland County Economic Development

http://highlandcountyeconomicdevelopment.co.highland.oh.us/

Quick History as Currently Understood at this time:

1989 through 1995 Enterprise Center for Economic Development Dan Cowdrey Director – State of Ohio initiative that covered following region: Adams, Brown, Highland –

1995 through 200_ - The Ohio State University hired Consultant to assist with similar region as Enterprise Center – (Dan Cowdrey)

From 1995 through 200_ - Partnership with Great Oaks and Chamber of Commerce for Economic Development and Education within the Great Oaks Region with dedicated directors. – Tom Wyatt , Harry Snyder, Melanie ______

2008- 2010 Highland County Economic Development Office

March 2010 March 2011 Highland County utilized Regional Economic Recovery Coordinator Rafael Underwood – EDA assistance through OVRDC – (serving Highland, Clinton, Fayette)

2011- Currently Commissioners Office working on Case by Case basis, with other Civic & Business Groups

Resource’s Highland County is a Member or has interest in:

Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission

Jobs Ohio Region - Appalachian Partnership for Economic Growth

Highland County Revolving Loan

Highland County CIC

Grow Highland County http://growhighlandcounty.wordpress.com/

Resource’s outside of Highland County (Regionally) not a Member or limited interest:

Economic Development Alliance of Southern Ohio – Chris Manegold – Ross County

Clinton County Economic Development – Bret Dixon, Director

Fayette County Economic Development – Rob Hedrick, Director

Adams County Economic Development – Holly Johnson, Director

Pike County Economic Development – Ken Reed, Director

Brown County Economic Development – Kelly Cole, Director

Above Listing does not include any Local City or Village Initiative within surrounding Counties.

It’s Our responsibility in the Commissioner’s Office to provide some kind of organized Economic Development to Highland County.

Highland County Pop. 40,875 (2000)

Seven Incorporated Towns and 17 Townships

· Highland

· Greenfield

· Leesburg

· Lynchburg

· Mowrystown

· Sinking Spring

· City of Hillsboro

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Regional Contractual Approach – Solution:

Contract with an existing Economic Development Department

Estimated Needed Funding $ $30,000

Negotiate Pay and Development Services

1. Contact Surrounding Counties about Contracting a Director

2. Negotiate an amount

3. County Commission dictates directives with information on hand.

4. Outline and share what the Commission would wish to achieve.

5. Director acts as point person for future business inquiries

6. Director Voice for Outreach to New business

7. Put a reporting system in place.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Regional Collaborative Approach - Solution

Estimated Funding ?

A. Contact surrounding Counties

B. Put together a Regional Plan, collaborating with surrounding Counties goals and expectations

C. Put an action plan together along with a Budget.

D. Build from Ground Up using a County Economic Development Department as an Outline for new Regional Department.

E. Research Case studies and examples of existing collaboratives

Current Approach

Continue with Current Referral Plan - Solution

Commissioners Office outreach to business and Community Groups

React as needed and information arises.

Outreach through Internet, local contacts, regional contacts as needed.

Local Approach - Solution:

Economic and Community Development Department

Estimate Needed Funding $50,000 to $65,000

Community Buy-In would have to be in Two Ways

One- Monetarily

Highland County Providing Seed Money $15,000 to $30,000 in Upcoming 2013 Budget (Part-Time/ Temporary Cost of an Employee)

Communities providing an appropriate dollar amount totaling proposed and agreed budget. Cost might run from $3,000 to $7,000 for a very minimum funding allocation.

Two – Local Plans and Initiatives

Each Community would have to provide an attainable goal (project) and assist in a plan to achieve the goal.

Each Community would have to provide a list of possible projects to be used as a guide for the Director.

Each Community would have to take local ownership by providing a list of local attractions, possible local incentives, community resources, community property inventory and community outline.

Possible Community Needs Assessment?

(Basics and Beginning of Comprehensive Plan?!)

Director – Will be Responsible for Marketing, Outreach, Organization, Reporting, Progress, and Regional Partnership.

Information has to be Meaningful and Outcome Measurable! What the Commission gets, if nothing else, is information that is the backbone of County Economic and community Development from the communities that can easily attain and decipher the information.

Additional Options and ideas Not Addressed or listed above?

_____________________________________________________________________________________

It is our Job to Listen to the Needs of Highland County. We have an Opportunity to establish a working Economic Development Department in Highland County.

Additional – Resource and Needs Assessment is important, it can drive different development than is expected. Case studies exist that have researched certain businesses are staples in local economies and provide for growth. Certain businesses are needed to promote additional growth.

Additional – Going outside existing mainstream sources of business contacts is important. Outreach to trade organizations, investment firms, and market segments that fit with current available resources or community needs. (focus on local market demands)

Additional – Community Buy-In and Ownership of process is important for a successful outcome.

Additional – Community resources, Community Needs, strategic goal oriented planning are needed in order to drive the correct Economic Development Plan.

Economic Development is a Process. We cannot go at it like we are killing snakes.

I understand the above is only as accurate as the information available to me and that other solutions may exist. It is important to look at varying sides and solutions before a conclusion can be drawn.

Jeremy Shaffer

Commissioner

10/2/12

Downtown Revitalization in Small Town America is Important

A Beginners Look at Economic Development  

Downtown Revitalization is important, however small communities are at a disadvantage. Small towns and small cities would love to have multiple employers, and thriving retail areas on Main Street. Though often times it is hard to find the proper tools, and know how to put together a successful approach. Building the foundation for small town success is hard and complicated and takes multi faceted planning. This includes a broad Master Comprehensive planning, Financial Planning/Stability, and Service Delivery Need/Analysis for starters.Then Marketing, Public Relations, Economic Development, Community Development and a myriad of other more community specific studies need to be addressed and action plans initiated.

The information over a vast number of professions and skill sets must be put together into one dynamic force and must be implemented over time.

Recently, I was explaining a DART ( Downtown Assessment Resource Team) visit and discussing my experience looking into becoming a Main Street Community. After that discussion I went in search, as many times before, to find a small toolbox filled with the information that may help, without expending the Capital and resources on a DART visit to better understand the Downtown Revitalization approach. Much of what I have experienced has been intriguing when it comes to Economic Development, however I have learned much of the information is over rated and over sold. The Main Street Program is a great endeavor and ultimate goal, though there is a foundation that must be put in place in order to achieve such success and be recognized. I believe that with the right amount of planning and action a small community can become vibrant and successful. The identification and award for the achievement through recognition will take back seat when done properly, because the success will be a happy stable community.

Now for the Holy Grail of information. I have searched and been part of many discussion regarding understanding the needs of the community and businesses. Much was underlined by preconceived notions, outdated information, and special interest groups. None of this being bad, just not what needed to be developed in order to receive quality information that would assist in putting together a measurable action plan. Recently I stumbled across a Tool Box to assist in doing what many had been talking about. I was so excited I copied the introduction and linked the information to share with my locals. It was put together in 2010 by a collaboration of University Extension Agencies - MN, OH, and WI. This will help get your planning and information gathering underway. Next stop will be funding, however that is a topic in itself.

I hope this helps. HERE IS YOUR TOOL BOX

Jeremy Shaffer, Highland County Commissioner

Introduction - Downtown & Business District Market Analysis

For the last four decades, small cities (population of less than 100,000) all across our country have seen continued economic leakage from downtown to outlying edge locations. Once the center for community and economic activity, downtowns have suffered the loss of retail and other businesses to sites in shopping centers and commercial strips. Downtowns continue to suffer economic hardship brought on by fierce retail competition from category killers, large discount stores, and regional shopping centers. Many small city downtowns face high vacancy rates and a poor mix of retail tenants. They typically lack the market research support available to the big retailers and shopping center developers.

Market studies are typically conducted in downtown districts for a number of reasons. Examples include:

• To help businesses understand their trade area to improve sales;
• To explore business development opportunities; and
• To demonstrate the economic importance of downtown.

This market analysis toolbox is designed to help local business leaders, entrepreneurs, developers, and economic development professionals across the country understand the changing marketplace and identify business and real estate development opportunities that are realistic and make sense for their communities. It will introduce and guide the user through many of the techniques used in analyzing specific development opportunities for a downtown area. The toolbox is intended to be a self-help resource that can be used in a locally-initiated market analysis.
However, downtown market analysis today should differ from retail and shopping center market analysis. Instead of focusing strictly on retail, new emphasis is placed on the particular strength of downtown, its assets, history and quirkiness. Traditional retail is part of the equation, but only part of it. Some of the new additions to this toolbox build on factors that are unique to downtown – things that tell a compelling story about the advantages of doing business downtown.
The 2011 update of the Downtown and Business District Market Analysis toolbox is a result of a collaborative effort involving University of Minnesota Extension, Ohio State University Extension, and University of Wisconsin-Extension. The revised toolbox (building from the original University of Wisconsin-Extension toolbox) incorporates new tools developed in the partnering states. The update was supported with funding from the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development. The toolbox is based on and supportive of the economic restructuring principles of the National Trust Main Street Center. The Wisconsin Main Street Program (Wisconsin Department of Commerce) has been an instrumental partner in the development of this toolbox.

Brought toYou By

 

 

Sidewalks - Important to a Walk-Able Community

 

Make your Community Walk Able with Sidewalks

Municipalities are always looking for funding options to pay for sidewalks. Sustainable and walk able communities are important. In fact the communities we live in are a lifestyle choice. Where we live are more than a place to exist, they are places that you can grow and enjoy life. This means that the way a community is planned, derived, and developed is important to the people that are attracted to live there. I found this report done by Mark Fenton in 2003, and it is an organized approach to funding sidewalks. Some of the information is dated; however the approach is very good. I hope you find it usable as you work to improve your walk able community.

Jeremy Shaffer, Highland County Commissioner

 

Funding Overview

© Mark Fenton 2003

Important Note. The recommended standard

 

for sidewalks is a five-foot minimum width,

with a planting strip or other separation from

the roadway (preferably two feet or more)

when possible. A six-inch vertical curb is

preferred to assure vehicles do not park on

the walkway, and it’s absolutely mandatory if

the sidewalk is at the curb edge to enhance

safety by providing at least some separation

between pedestrians and traffic. Similar

guidelines can be found for trails, crosswalks,

and bicycle lanes. Start at

www.pedbikeinfo.org.

How Do We

Pay for Sidewalks (and Other

Infrastructure)

?

Funding Healthier Places for Walking and Cycling:

7 Strategies

By Mark Fenton

Communities across North America

use a variety of strategies to finance

pedestrian and bicycle network

improvements. The most successful

communities do not appear to rely on

just one funding source, but creatively

utilize a mix of tools and approaches

depending on their state or province,

to make both immediate and long-term

progress on their facility needs.

First is a summary list of seven

possible approaches; they are then

outlined in further detail below, with

some relevant contact information.

1. Routine accommodation. Require complete streets, accommodating

pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders on absolutely all new construction

and redevelopment.

2. Opportunistic improvement. Build sidewalks at reduced cost during other

construction activities (sewers, underground utility work, road resurfacing).

3. Mitigation and impact fees for new development. Require all

proposed developments to study the full transportation impacts of a project. In

other words, not just motor-vehicle traffic impacts, but also pedestrian,

bicycle, and transit travel modes. Then either:

a. Require the developer to construct non-motorized facilities (e.g.

sidewalks bike lanes, trails) to nearby, off-site destinations (schools,

shopping, etc.) to mitigate those impacts. Or . . .

$ $

Funding Overview

© Mark Fenton 2003

b. Charge development impact fees to mitigate the impacts through

improved pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities.

4. Grant Programs and transportation funds. Utilize state and

federal resources. E.g.

•

The Transportation Enhancements (TE) Program.

•

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds

•

Transit Oriented Development grants.

•

Safe Routes to School program

•

Highway safety funds of the Surface Transportation program

•

Recreational Trail funds; Greenways and Trails Demonstration

Grants.

5. Betterments, Special Improvement Districts, Tax Increment

Financing. Charge adjacent property owners, or a general neighborhood or

business district for construction or improvement of sidewalks, trail, bicycle

parking, or other facilities based on the need and increased access and value

for those landowners.

6. Special funding & resources. Foundations, corporate sponsorships,

service groups, and adopt-a-trail and “friends” organizations can all provide

funding or in-kind support for creation or maintenance of facilities such as

trails, paths, and open space. This can include funding endowments for the

long-term maintenance of facilities.

7. Capital improvements. Many cities and towns have a small but regular

portion of the budget annually dedicated to sidewalk, pathway, and bike lane

construction and maintenance.

But most importantly, when considering these seven strategies, it is vital that

your community develops a plan. Most successful communities first invest in an

inventory of current facilities and needs. They then develop a non-motorized

network plan, which includes an assessment of priorities, often engaging a

professional planning and design firm in the process. Such outside professional

assistance can be valuable in four ways:

•

First, planners and transportation engineers have somewhat sophisticated

means of assessing the potential demand for non-motorized travel in an

area based on the nature of trip generators (schools, churches shopping),

proximity of other uses (residential clusters) and facilities that might be

Funding Overview

© Mark Fenton 2003

installed, such as sidewalks, crossings, and bike lanes. Some of these

facilities--say, a signalized mid-block crossing--require somewhat

specialized design skills in the pedestrian/bicycle field to conceive

properly.

•

Second, a private firm can dispassionately set priorities, avoiding the

political pressures that might be-devil a community-based group. This is

not to suggest that anyone would act in bad faith, but it simply avoids

anyone ending up in the challenging position of telling neighbors their

sidewalk is low on the priority list.

•

Third, grant applications are often reviewed more favorably when they are

part of a plan, rather than as simply stand-alone projects.

•

Fourth, good firms can also provide very good insight and

recommendations on sources of funding for the high priority projects on

the plan.

7 Strategies in Detail:

1. Routine accommodation. Critical to assuring a town ends up with a

complete network of sidewalks, every board (but especially planning, zoning,

and city council) have to make it standard practice that absolutely all new

construction and redevelopment have sidewalks and trails that will tie into the

current

and future network of facilities in town. Successful towns establish an

unwavering consistency on this, or the system will never truly be complete.

2. Opportunistic improvement. During any maintenance, upgrades, or other

infrastructure work proximal to the roadways or utility corridors many towns

make it a matter of course to repair and upgrade existing sidewalks, bicycle

lanes, and trails, or to install missing sections. This includes such work as

sewers, underground utilities, power line corridors, and even routine road

resurfacing, because the marginal cost of sidewalk installation and repair is

much less when there is work already being done in the right-of-way.

3. Off-site mitigation for new development. Increasingly communities are

requiring new developments to construct sidewalk facilities outside the actual

boundaries of development if there is a likely negative transportation impact

resulting from that development. For example, a new housing development

that is within the “no bus service” radius of a school and lacking a sidewalk

connection to that school will clearly cause an adverse increase in the

Funding Overview

© Mark Fenton 2003

number of motor vehicles dropping off and picking up students at the school;

many parents simply won’t allow a child to walk in the roadway. This is an

estimable negative impact on the transport network, increasing congestion

and reducing safety at the school. A comparable case can be made regarding

housing developments proximal to other trip generators such as shopping and

transit stations. In such cases, towns have required developers to complete

some or all of the sidewalk, trail, or path network connecting the development

to the destination to mitigate the negative impacts of the new construction.

4. Impact fees. All new development induces increased traffic flow that

increases congestion, air and water quality impacts, wear on the roadway

system, and burdens on public services (police traffic enforcement,

emergency response, schools, etc.). An approach to mitigating those negative

impacts is to assess a standard impact fee (say, so many dollars per 1,000

square feet of residential or business space) that is dedicated to improving

the non-motorized transportation network in the community, to help remediate

for those broad transportation impacts of the new development. (A portion of

such fees might also be dedicated to schools and public safety, for example.)

There is great benefit to having a set impact fee rate in by-laws so that the

permit granting boards and developers have a clear understanding from the

start of the magnitude of the anticipated fee.

5. Grant Programs. There are an increasing number of grant opportunities

that your town can pursue to aid in funding sidewalk construction; in general

applications are viewed more favorably when the proposed work is not just a

“spot fix’ but is part of an adopted plan for improvement, such as a

community-wide sidewalk plan. Here are four examples

•

Transit Oriented Development. Some states have funds for building

facilities that will encourage walking and cycling to transit facilities such as

bus stops or train stations to ease traffic and environmental impacts of

new development.

•

Safe Routes to School. A new federal fund, administered through the new

state Safe Routes to School program through state DOT, for

improvements that increase cycling and walking to schools. The total

available dollars are modest but can be used for critical connections, such

as improving key crossings in the sidewalk system, or to launch programs

that will develop community support for further work.

•

Transportation Enhancements Program. Federally funded and

administered through the state DOT, these often substantial grants have

been used widely for construction of rail-trails and similar facilities around

Funding Overview

© Mark Fenton 2003

the country, as well as pedestrian and bicycle improvements in critical

areas such as waterfronts, near transit stations, and in or near

redeveloping business districts.

•

Recreational Trail funds; Greenways and Trails Demonstration Grants.

Another portion of federal transportation funding typically administered

through state departments of conservation or natural resources, the first

provides for actual construction, the second for planning and design.

These grants can be used for multi-use pathways that provide

transportation, not just recreational, functions.

6. Betterments, Special Improvement Districts, etc. Research has

established that the presence of sidewalks tends to increase adjacent

property values and provide an immediate access improvement to those

properties, as well as the broader public benefits of increasing non-motorized

travel and reducing negative traffic impacts. As such, some communities

charge the adjacent property owner or an entire area or district for the direct

cost of sidewalk construction as a betterment, not unlike paying for the cost of

a sewer hook-up. Like sewers and similar public works, the process is often

bonded by the municipality; in some cases property owners pay back their

portion over time, or if in an “improvement district” pay through a time-defined

tax surcharge. Sometimes communities require that property owners cover

only a portion of the cost, making the difference up with other resources listed

here.

7. Capital improvements. Most communities have at least a modest annual

budget for non-motorized facility maintenance and construction. This might

include, for example, sidewalk construction, trail maintenance, crosswalk and

bike lane re-painting. Though the sum might not be large, and only enough to

construct several thousands or even just hundreds of feet of sidewalk per

year, over time it is a significant contribution to building the network. Further,

this can be an important source of funding in providing the local matching

funds that may be required for grant funding (such as an enhancement grant,

which typically requires at least a 10% local match). This can also be

combined with charging local betterments and collected impact fees, or in

concert with required mitigation work by developers, to create a more

complete system of facilities.

The most important lesson from my work around the country is that the truly

successful communities are taking advantage of most, if not all of these

approaches.

Funding Overview

© Mark Fenton 2003

Resources:

Technical guidance: www.pedbikeinfo.org

Safe Routes to School: www.saferoutesinfo.org

Complete Streets campaign: www.completestreets.org

Local Government Commission: www.lgc.org

Canadian Active Living & Environment campaign: www.goforgreen.ca

Victoria Transportation Policy Institute: www.vtpi.org

Active Living by Design program: www.ActiveLivingbyDesign.org

Streetlight Ownership to Drive $250k Savings : Reblog

 

Streetlight Ownership to Drive $250k Savings

On May 23, 2013 / Energy & Utilities, Sustainability, Transportation

4 Flares4 Flares×

What Happened?The Washington County Regional Planning Council is strategizing on how to acquire ownership of local streetlights in its 10 towns to reduce electrical and maintenance costs.
So What?The Rhode Island General Assembly is considering two pieces of legislation that would help the Washington County Regional Planning Council take control of the streetlights more easily. The entire state spends more than $14 million annually on streetlight upkeep, while Washington County drops $1.2 million each year on lighting the community, and $750,000 is allocated to light maintenance. If the planning council is able to acquire ownership of the streetlights, officials estimate the county will save $250,000 over the next three years, while $350,000 could be assigned to the purchasing of more energy-efficient light bulbs.
What Would ChangeCurrently, municipalities in Rhode Island pay an estimated cost for streetlight bulbs and maintenance. The H5935 and S836 bills would enable the state Public Utilities Commission to adjust the cost of streetlights if a city were to provide energy-efficient light bulbs. Localities would purchase streetlights from the National Grid based on the new costs. Similar laws have already been enacted in Massachusetts and Connecticut. About 70 municipalities in Massachusetts own their streetlights and have reported savings of 15 to 50 percent.
Other County EffortsThe Washington County Regional Planning Committee is also pursuing a building efficiencies initiative that calls for Investment Grade Audits of 80 public buildings in the area to help reduce public energy bills. Once the audits are complete, towns can work to upgrade their infrastructure to reduce costs in the long term. The program is also a source of job creation as green and renewable energy sources will be introduced into the county.
The Town of Westerly has already been awarded a distributed generation standard contract by the state that will allow Rhode Island and the National Grid to work together on solar and wind power projects to upgrade infrastructure.
Cleveland Trials New BulbsCleveland Public Power is also investing in more energy-efficient streetlights, replacing fixtures with LED options to reduce costs. The provider is testing four types of LED streetlights to determine which bulbs offer the most savings and quality to the community. The trial will last two years so the bulbs experience extreme weather year-round before the most durable option is discovered.
The streetlight initiative will cost Cleveland about $500,000 – mostly funded by city coffers and a $200,000 federal energy conservation grant. The program will test light bulbs on 500 fixtures, and eventually impact the 67,000 streetlights that line Cleveland roads. The bulbs being tested will cost anywhere from $250 for a 150-watt light to $750 for 400 watts, compared to the $125 150-watt and $150 400 watt bulbs in place. The current lights only last for four years, while the LEDs promise a lifespan of up to 25 years with 50 percent less energy consumption. The city is also testing smart photocell devices that attach to streetlights and notify the power provider of any bulbs in need of repair. These devices could ensure adequate lighting throughout the city as well as reduce the extent of outages when they occur.

WIFI for All

 

WIFI is the connection of more than just mobil devices and computers. It is the infrastructure of the future. It is as important as Water and Sewer projects. The State and Federal Government have been supporting and even planned last half mile projects over the last Ten years. Connecting rural and urban America alike with high speed internet capablility.

Reblog:

I Want My M-WiFi

-->

 

By Patrick Nelson
TechNewsWorld
03/19/13 5:00 AM PT

WiFi blanketing entire communities was a turn-of-the-century dream that failed to materialize, with a few exceptions, but it's now being resurrected. "Simply put, carriers need WiFi," said Steve Hratko, Ruckus' director of carrier marketing. LTE alone won't be able to handle the insatiable appetite for more capacity, as the proliferation of mobile devices worldwide, like smartphones and tablets, continues to grow at a rapid pace."

Keep IT systems secure & running at peak performance with GFI Cloud™, the easy-to-use IT management platform giving busy IT admins one place for patch management, antivirus, server & workstation monitoring, asset tracking and remote support. Free trial.

Looking for an Internet connection when out and about may soon become a lot easier. There's been an uptick in public WiFi availability.

Recent public WiFi launches include Google's free WiFi project in New York City, starting with parts of Chelsea. London's tube network went hot in 2012 with 92 underground stations WiFi-enabled; Virgin Media is connecting a further 28 stations by the end of March, 2013. Also, Thailand is expanding Bangkok's current 200,000 public WiFi hot spots to the rest of the country over the next year.
It was understandable to see investment in municipal and outdoor wireless Internet projects during the days of slow mobile Internet in the naughties, but with modern mobile networks coming online -- like LTE and other fast-ish technologies -- why are we seeing this continued interest in public WiFi?
Were lessons not learned in the mid-to-late 2000s when we saw some expensive municipal WiFi failures? WiFi projects collapsed then for reasons related to lack of demand, cost and unsuitable technology. Today however, data demand has exploded due to the smartphone revolution, and WiFi technology is better.

Why WiFi's Still In

One company that has been specializing in municipal and outdoor infrastructure is Ruckus Wireless. Ruckus has been active in WiFi -- building networks for large-scale sporting events, hotels, schools, conventions -- and importantly, backup to telco-offered services. Brazil's largest telco, Oi, is using Ruckus to supply indoor and outdoor access points to support 3G expansion.
Ruckus has developed proprietary technology it calls "Smart WiFi" that it says has gotten a handle on a technological scourge: interference. Ruckus uses new adaptive antenna arrays and algorithms that choose the best signal path, sending signals only where they are needed -- often around obstacles.
Still, why is WiFi still in the game when widespread mobile network LTE adoption appears to be right around the corner?
"Most geographies are seeing traffic growth of 50-100 percent year-on-year with no end in sight," Steve Hratko, Ruckus' director of carrier marketing, told TechNewsWorld.
"It is easy to do the math here and see that this will easily overwhelm the existing mobile infrastructure, even with LTE deployments," he said.
"Simply put, carriers need WiFi. LTE alone won't be able to handle the insatiable appetite for more capacity, as the proliferation of mobile devices worldwide, like smartphones and tablets, continues to grow at a rapid pace," explained Hratko.
WiFi is the most economical and capacity-rich technology to help carriers address the tremendous acceleration in mobile data traffic, in his view, particularly within high-density areas.
Also, WiFi offers some consumer benefits, compared to LTE, Esme Vos, founder of MuniWireless, told TechNewsWorld.
"Municipal WiFi remains the more desirable option, because if done properly, it is much faster and allows the user to evade data caps and other nasty telco tricks," she said.
From a consumer standpoint, it also allows travelers to avoid roaming charges, added Vos.

Unburdening Cellular

Another advantage of outdoor WiFi today is that it can serve as an offload mechanism to alleviate cellular bandwidth concerns, noted consultant Rory Conaway, who writes for MuniWireless.
This is particularly applicable as new WiFi frequencies and technologies become available that deal with the historically troublesome area of interference and radio-propagation-related noise.
"Outdoor WiFi is designed to offload users from using cellular bandwidth," said Conaway.
"In many cases, carriers are limited to about 10 Mhz, which doesn't lend itself to the high- bandwidth needs of users," he explained. "Although LTE is more bandwidth-efficient than WiFi, each tower covers a much larger area, meaning more users. WiFi coverage zones are much smaller and have a 20 MHz channel.
More channel capacity means more radio traffic.
"The problem with outdoor WiFi is that there is so much noise in the unlicensed 2.4 Ghz bands that it's difficult to get more than a couple hundred feet to a smartphone -- and even worse attempting to penetrate trees and buildings," noted Conaway.
Dual-band Access Points, which add cleaner 5 GHz spectrum to the mix, help with noise -- although the 5 GHz band has a shorter range through obstructions. A new standard called "802.11ac," the next-generation WiFi technology, uses 5 GHz.
The Federal Communications Commission has recently announced that it will release another 195 MHz in the 5 GHz band for WiFi, although the caveat is that 5 GHz's range issues have meant that the band has been used so far primarily for line-of-sight backhaul and short-range home or office technology.
As a smartphone-driven data capacity crunch looms -- and we are seeing mobile cellular network capacity issues at major events, and in dense conurbations -- it may not be a case of if, but when we see more widespread WiFi launches. Deja vu all over again.

---

Patrick Nelson has been a professional writer since 1992. He was editor and publisher of the music industry trade publication Producer Report and has written for a number of technology blogs. Nelson studied design at Hornsey Art School and wrote the cult-classic novel Sprawlism. His introduction to technology was as a nomadic talent scout in the eighties, where regular scrabbling around under hotel room beds was necessary to connect modems with alligator clips to hotel telephone wiring to get a fax out. He tasted down and dirty technology, and never looked back.