But sticking Wi-Fi antennas on light poles? That New Orleans can do - and fast, too.

More than that, Wi-Fi is something New Orleans can use right now. No, not for the tourists (who aren't there anyway). But for police, fire and emergency personnel. And building inspectors. And contractors filing permits. And the same power, phone and cable workers who are busy restoring the city's more traditional infrastructure.

This isn't a gimmick to lure tourists, conventioneers and businesses back to the Big Easy, though that's the way the politicians trumpeted it. One more time: There aren't any tourists or conventioneers. There aren't enough customers to support new businesses. If tourists, conventioneers and new business were its purpose, throwing up a quick Wi-Fi system in New Orleans is something that would make sense to do later, not sooner.

No, that "rebuilding New Orleans with a wireless future" jazz just makes a better sound bite than saying, "We installed Wi-Fi now because we can do it quickly and the improved communication will speed up the process of putting the city back together."

That's what technology is for. It's what technology is good at, when we use it well: solving problems faster, and in ways that wouldn't be possible otherwise. It's not a frill. Sometimes it's the best solution we have.