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michael_cooney
Senior Editor

NOLA gets free Wi-Fi

Opinion
Nov 30, 20051 min
Data Center

The beleaguered city of New Orleans is making news – good news, actually – as it will be the recipient of a new, free municipally owned Wi-Fi network.

The network, comprised mostly of donated equipment, will span the city’s central business district and the French Quarter at first but will grow in the future. Mayor Ray Nagin hopes the technology will lure businesspeople and tourists back into the city.

This is obviously a nice bonus for NOLA, but aren’t there things the city needs more right now? And, frankly, the city wasn’t known for its municipal efficiency before the hurricane, what makes it think it can run a Wi-Fi net? And does it even have the infrastructure or staff in place to handle what seems like a low-priority recovery item?