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CNN.com - Cities find Wi-Fi future - Oct 18,2004 Page 2 of 2 "I haven't seen a lot of what I would consider real successes yet [with municipal wireless]." says Derek Kerton, found�� °t the wireless consulting firm The Kerton Group. "I'rr� watching the hype. More and more cities are announcing they're �on�� to do it, and I get concerned because I'm hearing more and more rhetoricthat isn't consistentwith the underlying technology." ��r�r, e��,s it�at Wi-F � iks irriende� vse -- a sr-rafl }eKal � neMnork -- worRS ?ir+G. Bul 6r�ring �� x;x�+� ['w� ►r�lo � �4}�WKie sysierrt wkl bAl� 1�1�194 �t$r'�2f2� fi4f� ��r �i F: fl�Kvy4r►F� ��S ��Y ar�aivid4�al� x busmesse6 �r a: an iram everyday objects like microwaves, baby monitors and cordless phones that run �n the same low frequency as Wi-Fi, "A Wi-Fi network over a wide area is like trying to run an airline industry without air traffic control," he says. "You're going to have planes crash into each other occasionally because no one's controlling it." He also questionsthe cities' capabilities for ongoing maintenance of such a high-tech service. "The access point that covers your house is down -- how long will it take the city to get out there and fix it? Or will they complain they don't have the budget to fix it?" Ultimately, widespread municipal Wi-Fi projects will fail. Kerton believes, as residents quickly demand new technology down the road. But Mayer says Chaska has planned for the inevitable wireless advances and fully expects changes to come to the network as new technology emerges. So far, customers are happy with the city's Wi-Fi start, he says. "1#'s been a fantastic opportunity for us, and the residents seemed to have embraced it with open arms ...I think iYs going to be a very successful story." Find this article at: http:Ilwww.cnn.com120041TECHIinterneV101181wireless.citylindex. html � Check the box to include the list of links referenced in the article. I,tE�� r�.rrn.t�clin�log��,Qrin�chis.�li�:kd�iilii}�.�an�.+pl�cp��ction=�p�sit64 �'�T],c:�m+-�C.iti��,., afl ��4�