The following column was written by New Haven Mayor John DeStefano and Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez and appeared in the New Haven Register on September 19th.

Hot-zones and clouds may sound like meteorological terms, but for Hartford and New Haven residents, they’re about to become synonymous with something much more reliable than the weather.

Each city wants to become “wireless”. The goal is to implement a citywide broadband wireless network that would connect laptops, personal digital assistants, music players, cameras, and even public safety laptops to the World Wide Web. Hartford and New Haven are hardly alone in their ambitious plans. Philadelphia, San Francisco and dozens of other cities are also pursuing citywide wireless plans and some towns in Connecticut are working on smaller projects, but it can be argued that few cities in the U.S. have as much to gain as Hartford and New Haven.

In Hartford, less than half of the residents have access to broadband. The Capital City is looking to provide a slightly slower service to its residents for free. It is also attempting to provide low cost personal computers to many folks, as well as training. To achieve this, Hartford is looking to engage in a public-private partnership.

New Haven envisions a low-cost broadband wireless service - available wholesale, perhaps half has much as it currently costs to access this technology. The New Haven Green and Tweed Airport could be hot zones with free service and a partnership with a private vendor could allow it all to happen without substantial cost to the taxpayer.

Both cities are currently conducting feasibility studies, looking for the most effective and cost efficient way to provide service on every corner of every street. To be sure, there are still many unanswered questions, but the mission is clear.

The biggest obstacle to the Internet is cost. Broadband service can run as much as $50 a month: that that alone can prevent people from logging on. Meanwhile, according to a study by Forrester Research broadband technology is quickly becoming the way more and more Americans access the web. It reports that in 2003, 29 percent of North American households connected to the Net via broadband and by 2010 that number will reach 62 percent. Another study conducted by the U.S. Department of Commerce shows that Americans will increasingly use the web for educating children, obtaining information about health care, conducting price comparisons, accessing government services, and searching for jobs.

Universal access to an affordable wireless network could also help attract business, visitors, and retain young professionals; right now Connecticut is not doing well in these areas. In fact, our state ranks last in the U.S. when it comes to job creation over the last 15 years. Only one other state—Alaska--- loses more young people each year than Connecticut.

Universal access to affordable wireless also sends a strong signal to entrepreneurs and investors – that Connecticut is in business to attract business--- by providing cutting edge infrastructure to its citizens. While citywide wireless alone won’t revitalize our economy and solve the brain drain, it’s a darn good start.

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Some argue that government is over stepping its role, interfering with the domain of private industry. In fact, more than one dozen states have passed legislation restricting or altogether prohibiting municipalities from providing universal broadband wireless access. (Telecommunications companies have not pushed similar legislation in Connecticut, at least not yet, and there is a bill in the U.S. Senate that actually prohibits states from restricting local governments from building wireless networks). As the debate continues, we hope lawmakers will remember that municipalities built safe and reliable roads and electrical grids throughout the 20th century. The belief was that people must have the ability to move and communicate freely for society to flourish as a whole. Today, government still maintains our streets and there are still towns – such as Wallingford – which operate their own electric utility. They don’t do it make a profit; they do it because they realize government’s role is to create the infrastructure that creates jobs.

It’s one thing to improve existing infrastructure. It’s another challenge entirely to create something new. That is the mission for our two cities and such efforts are the differences between good cities – and great ones.

Hartford Mayor Eddie Perez
New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, Jr.