Bridging The Digital Divide

By Chris Bunyan

Costa Mesa is a city that prides itself on being on the forefront of communication and what a better way to improve communication then introducing Wi-Fi to Costa Mesa. Wi-Fi will allow all Costa Mesa residents to have internet access anytime, anyplace, anywhere and at a low price. In fact, the price points for Wi-Fi are substantially cheaper than broadband service. What are the benefits of Wi-Fi? It is useful in education , in that, it allows for better distance learning, enables Costa Mesans to compete on the global market place, and opens the door for our public works departments to take their "office" out into the field. Wi-Fi is also an attractive selling point to our visitors who must stay connected, for example, traveling business people.

We are beginning to move into a more connected or networked society ,therefore, should be the first to lead the technological race. As I write this position paper, there are over 300 cities nationwide that are implementing Wi-Fi, let us not fall behind this cutting-edge trend. Typically Wi-Fi is only available at "hot spots" such as Starbucks, where a customer might pay $10.00 per day to use; instead, let us turn the "hot spots" into "hot zones."

So how then can we bring Wi-Fi into Costa Mesa? The first step is for the city to create the infrastructure followed by a business model and then place a "Request- For- Bid" (RFB ) on the city's website. Companies will then present to the city their proposals. And the upside is that the city does not pay to set up the system; it is financed by the provider who wishes to come into Costa Mesa, so the city does not use any of its financial resources.

Wi-Fi for the family

Wi-Fi network can connect a family's computers together to share such hardware and software resources as printers and the Internet. That means everyone in the family can share stored files, photos and documents and print them out on a single printer attached to one desktop computer - all without unsightly cables running throughout the home.

Wi-Fi for public schools

Wi-Fi has already pushed education ahead. Wi-Fi allows students to stay connected to school at anytime and anyplace. Wi-Fi would give students the ability to receive and send homework assignments anywhere in the city. Our public schools will be able to deploy wireless campuses. Parents of students can access their child's progress reports ,and become more involved in their child's educational journey.

Wi-Fi for business.

Wi-Fi will enable Costa Mesa business to utilize public areas like meeting rooms, training classrooms and large auditoriums. Many corporations also provide wireless networks to their off-site and telecommuting workers to use at home or in remote offices. Large companies and campuses often use Wi-Fi to connect buildings. Wi-Fi networks also work well for small businesses, providing connectivity between mobile salespeople, floor staff and behind-the-scenes finance and accounting departments. Because small businesses are dynamic, the built-in flexibility of a Wi-Fi network makes it easy and affordable for them to change and grow; thus giving small, medium, and large business an economic edge in the competitive field. So it creates a less rigid business and turns it into a more fluid one.

And while we must welcome Wi-Fi, we should remain open , in regards, to other looming technologies such as WiMax. But Wi-Fi will put Costa Mesa online. Wi-Fi will fuel our local business ,which in turn, means we will have a thriving economy. And this will help not just our businesses but will help the families and individuals that live here. My Wi-Fi plan is not just for certain parts of the city but the whole city. If elected, I will implement Wi-Fi quickly as possible; it is a terrific tool to have ,and yet it comes at virtually no cost to the taxpayer or city.