Cidade Sem Fio

Cidade sem Fio.

Autualização:

Paris entra na era do wi-fi (já havia postado aqui essa informação). O prefeito da cidade lançou ontem o serviço Wi-Fi, gratuito, em mais de 225 áreas públicas. Vejam o post do MuniWireless – Free Wi-Fi service in public areas in Paris.

“The city of Paris is now offering free Wi-Fi service in over 225 public areas such as parks and libraries. Mayor Bertrand Delanoë launched the service today. France Telecom is suing the city, claiming unfair competition. Never mind that France Telecom itself participated in the public tender but lost out to SFR. Among the areas where free Wi-Fi service is available are parks, musems, libraries, and community centers. They do turn off Wi-Fi access at night when the parks and libraries close, except for the square in front of City Hall and around the Champ-de-Mars, where Wi-Fi is available 24 hours a day.

Visit the Paris Wi-Fi website: http://wifi.paris.fr. You can find out where there is access, by arrondissement, by clicking here. The city partnered with SFR, a French operator that competes with France Telecom (that probably explains FT’s desire to kill the project), and Alcatel-Lucent. France Telecom operates a number of paid hotspots around the city and is Apple’s partner for the iPhone launch. SFR has just won the bid to unwire the city of Nantes (also with Alcatel-Lucent). The cost of the project, borne by the city and the Region (Ile-de-France), is 2 million EUR and the annual maintenance fee is 500,000 EUR.

Oddly enough, it was San Francisco’s plan to bring free Wi-Fi that inspired Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoë. Now of course, San Francisco has no free Wi-Fi, but Paris does. I am curious to see how popular this Wi-Fi service will be. The Paris Velib bike service (free bikes in various places around the capital) has been extremely successful. The city partnered with JC Decaux, the outdoor advertising company, on the Velib project.”