"There are two key considerations in our study," said Phil Belanger, managing director at Novarum, a consulting firm for the wireless broadband industry. "First, can you use the service where you want it and, two, when you use it, does it have a snappy performance? Can you get your work done in a reasonable amount of time? We found a wide variety."
The firm conducted the tests in 14 cities with municipal networks in what may be the first systematic study of multiple municipal Wi-Fi systems, Belanger said.
The relatively small network in St. Cloud ranked as the best overall municipal network because it was consistently available throughout the service area, according to Belanger. Also, it was easy to use and free, making it a good value. Not surprisingly, St. Cloud had the highest density of access points throughout its service area, Belanger noted.
"Our conclusion is that [good service] isn't a technology issue," Belanger said. "It's a matter of how much you want to invest in infrastructure."
Specifically, many cities -- and the companies that were hired to deploy and manage the networks -- initially believed that a density of 20 access points per square mile would suffice. The access points are typically installed on utility poles.
"If you look at our rankings, the networks that are successful are pushing 40 nodes per square mile," Belanger said. That was certainly the case in St. Cloud, he noted.
Even at that, there were wide discrepancies in actual performance, Belanger said. Toronto was by far the fastest municipal network, with speeds as high as 5Mbit/sec. in some parts of the coverage area and average speeds of 2.2Mbit/sec. for downloads and 1.6Mbit/sec. for uploads. By contrast, the municipal network in Tempe, Ariz., provided average speeds of about 200Kbit/sec. for downloads and roughly half that for uploads, Belanger said.
The much-discussed network in Philadelphia, which is still being built, had average speeds of about 660Kbit/sec. downstream and 100Kbit/sec. upstream. Belanger said the tests were conducted on-site in the second half of 2006, and many of the networks are not yet complete. They also don't have as much traffic as they eventually will. The added traffic, he noted, will affect performance.
"We think performance will decrease as usage goes up," Belanger said. "These rankings are a snapshot in time and in six months we'll do it again."
Municipal wireless service could potentially replace DSL and cable for some users in cities in which the service is widely available, consistently fast and easy to use, Belanger said.
"In some cities, users doing only wireless will be a very attractive option," he said. "Students, for example, can live in a different house every quarter and maintain their account or take it to the nearest microbrewery and use it there," he said.
He noted, though, that in-home use may require extra equipment that the user must purchase to strengthen the signal indoors. Even at that, if this type of coverage replaces standard forms of DSL, "you'll need a ton of [access points]," Belanger said. "It comes down to how dense the infrastructure is."
He said he expects networks run by private organizations, rather than municipalities themselves, will be the most successful. Toronto's network is entirely private, and is being deployed and run by Toronto Hydro Corp. as a commercial venture, Belanger said. And, not coincidentally, in some areas, the Toronto network has as many as 126 access points per square mile, the study found.
Another potentially successful business model is the one used in Madison, Wis., in which a company, CellNet Technology Inc., is developing the network in conjunction with the local electric utility for remote reading of electric meters. The public part of the network is an overlay.
"Madison has an anchor application that justifies the expense," Belanger said. "The [public] service is on top of it and is gravy."
The study notes that other technologies, such as faster 3G service and mobile WiMax, are being rolled out even as municipal networks are deployed. Belanger said all types of wireless technology will survive into the future.
"I don't think any one technology will win and sweep the deck," he said. "All these technologies will be there." He added, however, that municipal systems will have to become faster over time to match the other types of access.
10 best in muni Wi-Fi
These cities have the best municipal Wi-Fi networks in North America, according to a study by consulting firm Novarum. The scores range from 1 to 5. Scores were based on performance, service availability, value and ease of use.
St. Cloud, Florida: 4.23
Mountain View, Calif.: 3.46
Toronto: 3.18
Anaheim, Calif. :3.12
Philadelphia: 3.03
Santa Clara, Calif.: 2.65
Galt, Calif.: 2.64
Palo Alto, Calif.: 2.45
Tempe, Ariz.: 2.40
Madison, Wis.: 2.37