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05/02/2006New Orleans CIO in a Fight for Free Half a Meg
Since Hurricane Katrina struck last year, New Orleans residents, businesses, public-safety personnel and building inspectors have grown accustomed to having free Wi-Fi access at 512 kbps across the city’s one-square-mile downtown network. New Orleans CIO and CTO Greg Meffert supports a state Senate bill that would allow the city to continue providing free Wi-Fi access at current speeds—instead of reverting to 128 kbps under a 2004 law constraining municipal networks. The vote in the state legislature is this weekend.
 W2i: How critical has the Wi-Fi network in New Orleans become for local-government workers, businesses and residents?
Greg Meffert: It has truly become a lifeline. So many areas with offices and homes were destroyed, and over $500 million worth of private telcom was wiped out. In many areas, it has become the main and only option to be connected.
Do you have numbers on the mobile workforce uptake of the network?
I’m not sure exactly, but I know it was over 10,000 after the first month alone.
What are some of the unique challenges in New Orleans that the network has been especially useful at overcoming?
We have had to carry out so much more services with less—inspect 110,000 homes in six weeks, issue 50,000-plus permits with less than 10 people on staff. I couldn't have done that without automated kiosk applications tied together with this network.
Can you characterize the Louisiana law limiting the speed of municipal Wi-Fi networks in your state?
The law states that municipalities can't provide network access greater than 128 kbps. We are trying to appeal this.
Would you welcome changes in federal policy?
Yes. I have testified on behalf of John McCain's bill in this area.
Both Miami-Dade County and the City of Houston are actively pursuing citywide Wi-Fi initiatives. Any lessons to impart?
I would highly encourage looking at Wi-Fi and public-safety network initiatives as one in the same. This helps both in effectiveness and access to funding. We met with Houston on this very issue a couple of months back and gave some advice.
Has bandwidth usage for video surveillance on the network inhibited other uses?
Video on the same network is not just okay but key. Bandwidth is not an issue if the camera network is set up more for high-res frame grabbing and virtual patrols than static full-motion video. Better for your network, more effective in catching criminals as well.
Hurricane season is right around the corner. Do you feel confident relying on the city's Wi-Fi infrastructure to aid in emergency response?
We do intend for Wi-Fi to play key role. I am confident in the technology but am still trying to get past legal hurdles to roll out fully.
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