Network-IT ....Technology solutions for businesses in Connecticut

Technology Committee - Recent News

May 01, 2005

First City and Chamber of Commerce Partnership in the Nation to Offer Free Wireless Access in a Downtown Area

Middletown is the first city and Chamber of Commerce partnership in the nation to offer free wireless access in a downtown area.

Outdoor areas on Main Street, Middletown are a “hotspot” through a Wi-Fi network, making free high-speed Internet service available for all laptop and PDA users. The creation of this hotspot means that anyone with a Wi-Fi-ready portable computer can log onto the Internet for free from the sidewalks and outdoor restaurant tables on Main Street. The Wi-Fi network, which is accessible on most of Main Street from north to south, puts Middletown at the forefront of technology, and further lends itself to making the community an attractive place for high tech companies.

The Mayor promoted the idea of sitting at a sidewalk table, enjoying a latte or a brick-oven pizza, while checking email or writing reports or surfing the Internet. “We expect the hotspot to draw people who spend lots of time on their computers, like college students, writers, and business people of all kinds. It adds to the vitality of the street.”

While demonstrating the new Wi-Fi network from the outdoor tables at the First and Last Tavern, Mayor Thornton and Chamber President Larry McHugh talked about the benefit of the hotspot for companies that have tech-savvy employees. Joining in the demonstration were members of the Chambers technology committee and other interested business leaders.

“Just as cellphones have become commonplace, more and more people are taking the Internet with them as they work, travel and play,” said McHugh. “Middletown is the kind of community that draws people who are comfortable with a high-tech lifestyle. We thought it would be great for both visitors and people who work downtown to have free internet access while they are enjoying all that our Main Street has to offer.”

The network has a number of “Technical words” installed on Main Street, stretching the hotspot from Brewbakers cafe to La Boca. A Wi-Fi-ready device, technically known as 802.1-lb capability, will be able to recognize when it has entered the hotspot, giving the user the opportunity to log onto the Internet, and send and receive data.

“This is a huge accomplishment for the city, and was the result of a great deal of work and cooperation between various businesses and individuals,” said Chamber President McHugh.

Wesleyan University, the City of Middletown, the Community Health Center, and several corporations joined efforts to implement this groundbreaking plan. This cutting-edge development has been made possible through the generosity of a variety of businesses. Cisco Systems donated all of the high tech networking equipment. Wesleyan University engineers donated the system’s design and installation. The Middletown Police Department donated the use of their building for the system’s main antennae with the assistance of Jeff Everett of Everett Electrical. Also, Middlesex Mutual Assurance, Welles Guilmartin and First and Last Tavern donated the use of their property for additional access points.

“This technology is just as important as any other utility we rely on, such as electric and cable,” said McHugh. “As a chamber, we’ll continue to be innovative in making this a great place to be in business. I would like to extend a special thanks to the members of our Technology Council, all of whom have done a commendable job in meeting the challenges of developing services for this fast paced industry.”

The Chamber’s Technology Council is led by Gary Gomola of Gomola & DiBella, LLP, CPA’s, and Mark Masselli of the Community Health Center. Members of the council include Ron Catrone of Liberty Bank, Nancy Waterman of Network-IT, LLC, Marc Gallagher of POW R PC, and Bill Barnes of Visionetric.