« FCC Shows Candor | Weblog | Silicon Valley Metropolitan Network »

The Boston Model for Regional Collaboration - NOT

Category: 

In December Bostonites were complaining that for a high-tech city, they certainly didn't feel like one when it came to wireless. Amid some political sniping this week, a task force was created that will explore the viability of citywide Wi-Fi. This week the Boston Foundation also released a report stating the city should partner with private companies like Earthlink to create a citywide network in the mold of those in Philadelphia and San Francisco. Broadband Reports

I started out to write a blog about a Boston cooperation-and-due-diligence model, based on what looked like a good deal at first glance. But wait, there's more to the story. Silly me. While that model may still emerge at some point, the water is murkier than it first appeared to be. Let's watch this as it takes shape and use it as a case study in regional collaboration. Who knows, maybe it'll end up as a negative model for us not to follow. This city has all the potential in the world, lots of resources, loaded with universities, tons of character, dense urban development, but they will have to find a way to work together politically. Ah, there's the rub, politics and working together. The juries still out on that one.

The article in the Boston Globe, Study Details WiFi Options, describes action that's brewing on metropolitan broadband after a lot of talk -- but not a lot of agreement, apparently.

The Boston Foundation and Boston's Museum of Science, at the request of a city councilman, John Tobin, put together a study entitled "Boston Unplugged: Mapping a Wireless Future." So far, so good. This link takes you to the study, but apparently it has not yet been released, because the site has a Coming Soon message. Oh well.

Apparently Councilman Tobin worked hard on this wireless initiative and is ready to launch with a Request for Information. The RFI would look at:

- An examination of needed technical facilities for a WiFi network
- The creation of a "realistic" timeline for the project.
- A review of security and interference issues.
- A plan to build off of existing WiFi pilot projects.

OK, now its really looking good - progress. This is starting to sound like the Regional Collaboration I go on about on this website. But, STOP RIGHT THERE...

Enter the Mayor from Stage Right..."Step aside, Councilman, I'll take it from here ... I'm the MAYOR!"

In what must seem to the councilman as a No-Good-Deed-Goes-Unpunished move, the Mayor stepped in and took control, suggesting that what was needed was a Mayor's Task Force. According to the Boston Herald, this is if you will pardon the expression, politics as usual in Boston.

But, they did a lot of things right. And, it will probably still work out. An innovative leader in the city government did some consensus building, sought out allies, conducted preliminary research, and leveraged his position as an early adopter with motivated private sector partners. The missing link for now is political cohesion.

This is why I recommend smaller projects to get going - more action, less talk. See this link to learn more about how a metropolitan network on a less grand scale is being pursued at the university level in a smaller version of Boston, Cambridge, home of MIT.

Finally, to learn more about university / community collaboration, explore this report from the Boston Foundation, A New Era of Higher Education - Community Partnerships.

This is kind of fun to watch, when you think about it. Makes Austin look good.

Posted on February 11, 2006 at 06:16 PM

Comments

Post a comment