The bad news: the city of Chicago is suffering from record levels of violence, murders and assaults. The city’s fiscal situation is so dire that they are closing schools and laying off teachers. And its long-term retirement obligations may drive the City of Broad Shoulders to the brink of insolvency.
The good news: the city is now offering free wifi in a rapidly increasing number of outdoor public venues.
City leaders recently announced that free public wifi is now available at five popular Lake Michigan beaches (North Avenue, Osterman/Hollywood, Montrose, Foster and Rainbow beaches). And that’s just the beginning of the good news, because they also announced a long-term plan to expand free wifi in all city parks, beaches, and public plazas throughout the city.
“With today’s busy lifestyle, it’s important that we stay connected even when we’re spending a day at the beach,” Chicago Park District General Superintendent Michael Kelly announced. “The availability of wi-fi adds a new amenity to the great experience that our beaches already offer.”
The Chicago Tribune reports that the city also intends to bring free high-speed wireless to emerging business zones throughout the city.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has faced on problem after another since he took office, but that hasn’t stopped him from looking forward to a better tomorrow built on high technology. He hopes to establish Chicago as a regional hub for high-speed internet service and to continue the expansion free wifi in public spaces across the city.
Emanuel has dubbed the program the “Chicago Broadband Challenge”.
“Chicago will be one of the most connected cities in the world,” Emanuel insisted. “The establishment of a world-class broadband network in Chicago will create thousands of jobs and dramatically improve educational opportunities, economic development, health care services, and general quality of life throughout the city.”
NBC-TV reports that much of the required wifi infrastructure has already been installed on existing buildings. As a result, businesses and individuals who live near the city’s beach, parks and public plazas may be able to tap into the public wifi system.
You may wonder where a city teetering on the verge of bankruptcy finds enough money to fund a program like this. The answer? The plan is a public-private partnership between the city, internet giant Cisco and Everywhere Wireless.
Cisco reportedly donated $75,000 to $100,000 worth of equipment and Everywhere Wireless is building out the required infrastructure

City fathers say there are no plans to extend the service to additional beaches, parks and public plazas in the near term, but you can see the writing on the proverbial wall. We expect the public response to the program to be overwhelmingly positive and politicians being what they are, we expect them to respond by giving the public what it wants.
In fact, free public wifi could help fill the gap left when all those public schools were closed and all those teachers were laid off.
Don’t stop now, Chicago. Expand your free public wifi program now.
Source: Huffington Post and Chicago Tribune

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