Facilitated Hotspots


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City-Operated Wireless Hotspots (Wi-Fi)

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Departments > Information Technology > Facilitated Hotspots

FACILITATED HOTSPOTS

THE CONCEPT

The City of Montgomery wants to encourage the creation of free public hotspots throughout the Montgomery metropolitan area. The IT Department will work with private entities to facilitate the creation of wireless hotspots throughout the Montgomery area.

The City’s idea is simple in concept. We feel that hotspots within the city will stimulate interest and traffic, resulting in additional patronage and, in turn, spending. We see the concept of hotspots as being mutually beneficial to both the City and to other participating entities.

The City is currently sponsoring a demonstration project designed to show the public's interest in hotspots

BUSINESS INVOLVEMENT

Many business entities are in obvious locations to benefit from any such wireless access. Certainly you feel the desires and pressures by business people, tourists and students to increase their access to the internet to include using wireless.

Extending such wireless access beyond traditional office or business boundaries and into the surrounding neighborhoods would benefit both the Montgomery population and the businesses within Montgomery. Individuals would be free to wander the neighborhoods while still staying in wireless contact and local businesses would have an opportunity to financially benefit from increased traffic and spending.

MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL

The City is willing to partner with business to make this concept happen, and wants to explore such public-private partnerships that would benefit both the business community and the City of Montgomery by each contributing to the creation of a wireless hotspot neighborhood(s) in downtown Montgomery.

The vision is for business(s) to take the lead for the technical wireless solution in and around their business location, while the City will participate by providing the necessary right-of-way and assistance in locating antennas. In return, the business would be able to use the opening screen for anyone connecting to the hotspots by saying something to the effect of “This free public hotspot is brought to you as a partnership between the City of Montgomery and Your-Business-Name.” Furthermore, the business could use the remaining screen real estate to market their services.

As part of the City’s participation in the partnership, we would also assist in providing conduits for cables, access to street lamp poles (or other locations) for antenna placement, power, etc.

Right now, none of our ideas are set in concrete. We are happy to freely discuss various means and methods to create such partnerships with you and others, and to consider any ideas as part of this effort.

HOTSPOT SPONSORSHIP

The City also sees a benefit to business-sponsored hotspots at select City-owned locations. For example, a company might want to install a hotspot within the Council Chambers or a city library. The benefit to the business would be the marketing value of having the company name represented on the hotspot opening screen, while the City would benefit from the availability of wireless connectivity. Once again, the City would facilitate the installation of the equipment within the City-owned facility.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you would like any additional information about this idea, please contact Don McCanless at 334.241.2924, dmccanless@montgomeryal.gov.