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About the Akron Wireless Project

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OneCommunity is a nonprofit technology organization dedicated to fostering economic and civic progress through innovative and collaborative applications of information technology. The organization is implementing an enhanced public safety network and providing open community wireless access in 10 square miles of Akron, including key business districts throughout the city.

Goals:

The Connect Akron Wireless Project aims to level the playing field for the underserved and provide the community added mobility to services that can respond to community need - be it for healthcare, government services, public safety, or other human services. The network can connect Akron’s public safety forces and enable applications such as streaming video from ambulances so that emergency room doctors can direct patient care. Additionally, the Connect Akron will allow organizations in the new biomedical corridor to deliver innovative medical technology applications as well as to enhance their ability to communicate. Connect Akron will leverage high-value software applications to enhance government, health care, education, and other community services.

How It Will Work:

A cooperative communication infrastructure will create a “cloud” of broadband Internet access over the area that may be used by anyone with a computer and wireless capability. Akron subscribers will enjoy a robust connection, from 5 -10Mb/s. All wireless links in the network will be secured using encryption, offering a solid level of security.

Location:

The wireless project’s footprint includes all of Downtown Akron with its 31,000 employees, plus the major medical centers, and includes the Urban League to the South, Portage Path School of Technology to the West, the North Hill Library to the North, and Goodyear to the East. The network will also include the Airport Industrial Park on Triplett Blvd. as well as the neighborhood business districts of Kenmore, Firestone Park, and Sand Run.

Timetable:

Early 2009: Radio frequency analysis, equipment selection, plan deployment;

June 2009-September: Deployment and network testing;

July 2009-September 2009: Community education and training;

End of 2009: Half of network complete;

Spring 2010: Full network deployment.

Potential for Community Programming:

Once the infrastructure of the Wireless Project is in place, collaborative programs will provide computers for many people presently without access, so that the underserved populations can begin to reap the benefit of wireless potential.