May 2016 - Parks & Recreation - 52

The ABCs of Free Public Wi-Fi
LA Parks - Technology Innovators
By Mark Saferstein

his is awesome! I can sit outside in the park and get my work done while
watching the kids play. It's so much better than being stuck at home in
front of my computer or going to a fast food restaurant to get free Wi-Fi.
- Recently overheard at Echo Lake Park in downtown L.A.

The city of Los Angeles, along
with a growing number of local,
state and federal agencies, has committed to bring free Wi-Fi to public
spaces. The pilot program in Los
Angeles has already been embraced
by the public, with iconic locations
such as Venice Beach and Griffith
Observatory now offering this free
service. Wi-Fi is no longer considered an amenity, but rather a public
utility, like electricity and running
water. If you don't believe it, just
ask any millennial or the parent of
a young child.
What's Needed?
In order to offer Wi-Fi to your visitors, there are two primary needs:
high-speed broadband (i.e., an internet connection) and constant
electricity to power the system.
With this in mind, there are several questions that invariably arise:
* Where should I place Wi-Fi?
The best locations are where
there's a high concentration of
pedestrian traffic and where
people are likely to stay for a
while, such as a visitor center,
beach, playground, day-use or
concession area.
* What's the range of Wi-Fi? Carrier-grade, commercial Wi-Fi has
a limited range, typically no more
than several hundred feet. However, the range can be extended

50 Parks & Recreation

significantly by adding multiple
transmitters (commonly known
as access points or APs), linked
together to form a continuous
" mesh " network.
* Why do we need Wi-Fi if there's
cell coverage? Simple, Wi-Fi
is free and cellular data plans
are expensive. Recent research
shows that as many as 28 percent of customers pay overages
for exceeding their data plans.
Also, approximately 90 percent
of tablets are Wi-Fi-only, where
cellular isn't an option.
* My park is off the grid and the
local Internet Service Provider
(ISP) says there's no wired Internet connection available.
Is there still a solution? Yes!
There are multiple options to
bring in a signal, both wired
and wireless. Each has pros
and cons. Wired solutions, if
available, typically offer lower monthly cost, higher speeds
(measured in megabites per second or Mbs) and no data caps.
However, there are lots of places where it's prohibitively expensive - and sometimes impossible - to install a cable or
fiber line, or where it'll just take
far too long. Wireless solutions
include cellular, microwave and
satellite. Cellular-based Wi-Fi
is too slow and expensive for a

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public system. Microwave systems start with a wired internet
connection and then beam it
long distances using multiple
point-to-point antennas. This
can work for remote locations,
as long as there's direct line of
sight, but the cost of the service
is quite expensive. In locations
where this isn't an option, satellite increasingly offers a great
solution. Within a year's time,
both ViaSat and Hughes are
launching new satellites that
will cover all of North America. While satellite-fed Wi-Fi
has a data cap, and therefore
higher monthly costs, these
data costs are expected to drop
significantly with the new generation of satellites. Also, the
speed of satellite internet is projected to be more than six times
faster (i.e. far greater capacity)
than the current satellites. One
of the major advantages of satellite is that you can be up and
running in as little as a week!
* Are Wi-Fi systems private,
secure and family-friendly?
Yes, commercial systems are
typically anonymous, the data
is encrypted and you can block
objectionable content.
The city of Los Angeles partnered with American Park Network to install free public Wi-Fi
in multiple locations, including
the famed Venice Beach and
Griffith Observatory. The primary goals are to provide enhanced
visitor services, increase visita-

May 2016 - Parks & Recreation

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