Just got this press release:
February 15, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Representative Cathy B. HarvinWireless Cloud to Support South Carolina Learners
House Democrat Cathy Harvin, Clarendon & Williamsburg Co.’s, has collaborated with House Republican Dwight Loftis, Greenville Co. and 34 other members in introducing a Joint Resolution, H.4692 that would equip South Carolina Schools with a much needed wireless networking capability and would extend this capability to include a 10 mile radius around each school district education campus in support of homebound learners. The resolution calls for ETV to utilize its existing towers for this purpose.
Harvin indicates that this capability will allow enhanced learning experiences for students to use computing anywhere on the school grounds where students may now be limited to computer labs and will support children and adult learners in their homes.
Harvin says,” South Carolina is truly blessed to have received many more communications licenses than any other state. ETV has had these licenses for years and we must submit a plan to comply with FCC regulations by January 2009 that will indicate how we will move to digital delivery and how we will use these licenses. What more perfect way to use the licenses than to empower learners in this state. We now rank 48th nationally, so we have no place to go but up. We seem to be in a timeframe where it is difficult to find any issue on which democrats and republicans can agree.” Harvin was most pleased to find when it comes to helping South Carolina’s children learn, there is no argument.
I get excited every time I hear anybody talk about the "Wireless Cloud" proposal — not because I fully understand what it is, but because the name rocks. In fact, it’s now on my short list for names for the band that I’ve been meaning to start since about 1971 (you can’t rush these things, you know; got to find the right name first).
This legislation, or legislation related to it, came up in one of our edit board meetings last week, and I kept asking Cindi to explain it to me. And then I’d have to stop her because she’d get into explaining the politics — who would benefit and who would lose under each alternative (there was something in it about a plan that would give away bandwidth that belongs to the taxpayers, but I didn’t really follow it, because it was like talking about money) — and I wanted to hear the technical explanation: How would a "wireless cloud" work? Could I use it with my present laptop? Would it cost me to use it? Would more cell towers have to be built, or what?
I didn’t get all the answers I wanted. And this release, with all its talk about kids and education and stuff, didn’t help with the self-centered questions I had. For all I know, the idea may not be feasible, or it might cost to much, or something. But it sure sounds cool. Especially the name.
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I thought Al Gore and Bill Clinton wired every school in America for the Internet, so why do they need a redundant wireless network?
Since each wireless antenna only covers a small area, why does the school need to supply free Internet access for 314 square miles around it, especially since every school would be providing overlapping coverage with every other school within 19 miles of it?
Sounds like another legislator spent more time writing the press release than they did on the legislation.
A couple of thoughts from somebody in the business … to use a wireless network, you first need a computer. Are they going to provide those, too? … 80% of Internet users are over the age of 25. The platform of choice for school-age kids is a mobile phone, which they use primarily for text messaging each other … Most popular application for kids who use the Internet is Instant Messaging, the web version of text messaging … the effective range for a standard WAP is 300 feet, unobstructed. To cover 10 square miles you need thousands, all hard-wired together, unless you embrace wireless mesh coverage, which requires serious administrative expense and support … Average cost of a WAP with weather-proof enclosure is about $800 each, not including power source. The list goes on and on.
Most universities that have wireless coverage in common areas find that bandwidthy is a major issue, as users gobble resources downloading music, the second-favorite past-time.
The wireless cloud concept assumes that Internet access will educational use of the web, when in fact that’s not how kids use the web.
As PDAs penetrate the market in the next decade, traditional computer use will decline among young and hold, as users choose mobile devices over PCs. Most kids today already consider even laptops as “too big.”
They are proposing to cover a RADIUS of 10 miles which is 314 square miles, or 21,000 acres, larger than the Columbia city limits, around EACH SCHOOL.
They have no idea of the cost, the technology, nothing.
I just wanted to place this on the blog record somewhere. I was saddened by the news of Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Ca.) passing the other day. Although, his politics were very different than mine, he was a kind, honorable and passionate advocate for what he believed in. I will miss watching him in the house. He had an old world accent that I enjoyed listening to even though I disagreed with most of what he said.
Rest in Peace Rep. Lantos.
The technology is straightforward — WiMAX would do it — but costs and utility are important issues. Sprint had committed a bundle to WiMax development but Wall Street has its doubts. It’s a large investment when you consider all of the infrastructure: transmitter/receiver base stations, laptops / desktops with IEEE 802.16 wireless adapters, system administration personnel and software, etc.
My main main gripe has to do with utility. I can use the Internet for fun and work. My employer has robust applications that allow me to do much of my job remotely, so I can be productive earning my salary using these applications.
Where are the web-based educational tools that will provide what the House members are hoping for? The Department of Education does not even have a complete set of lesson plans and instructional materials available for teacher access, let alone anything to enable remote learning activities. Heck, the school districts have trouble keeping webmail up for the teachers.
Up in NoVA (northern Virginia) the school district uses text-message broadcasting to advise parents of school closings, parents email teachers and administrators regularly, they all use technology pretty effectively but still don’t have much in the way of software for remote learning activities.
So by all means, let us spend a bundle so that more folks can enjoy the real fruits of the Internet: pornography, gambling, and shopping without having to pay state sales tax.
If they’re proposing WiMAX, you can bet somebody’s in bed with the telecoms on this deal.
Mr. Cakora is correct. The SC Dept of Ed and ETV have no content with which to serve the students. The original mission of ETV was to bring the best teachers to all students, even in the most rural areas. I took French from a teacher at Dreher, Chemistry from another really great teacher, and math from USC.
In the 1980s and 90s, USC offered engineering graduate courses via ETV. They should have been more modern and used the satellite dish channels that 200 other universities were doing, but it was still better than what USC offers today: nothing.
Dr. Stevenson wanted to put warm bodies on campus, and apparently would rather have no students, or foreign students, than serve the local technology community, because he shut down all the night classes, ETV and continuing education.
Brad, the answer to your question is no, you could not use WIMAX with your current laptop, at least not without a new Network Interface Card (NIC) with the 802.16 chip. Your current laptop is probably 802.11b/g, if it has wireless. Same goes for kids who would have access to this “educational” network. They’d need computers with the new NICs.
Intel, which will provide the new 802.16 chips, is planning to invest $2 billion in Sprint’s $5 billion WIMAX launch. Clearwire also may be a partner in the deal. Intel gave them $600 million in 2006 to goose development of WIMAX technology, which is in the “soft launch” phase with Sprint now. The initial launch coverage area for WIMAX is (surprise) Washington DC/Baltimore.
One of these companies no doubt has the ear of our legislators.
… And since Sprint has the most at stake, my money’s on them. Look for campaign contributions to legislators from Sprint.
Gordon – While I maintain that one should never attribute to cupidity that which can be explained by stupidity, you might have a great point in that with all that Intel, Sprint, and others have invested in WiMax, they’re probably looking for some sort of quick payoff that they can disguise as a demonstration of sorts. To date they’ve focused on test-bed cities, but SC — an entire state — would be a real coup, especially with generous public funding.
Brad may be better able to dig up the history, but as I recall one of the stellar successes of ETV was its provision of broadband to the technical colleges for the education of workers for new companies relocating to this state. In fact it’s that training bonus that got BMW here. My point is that we have capacity but need content. The proffered bill’s effort to expand capacity in a dispersed fashion to the populace would be more meaningful (i.e., cost-effective) were there content available to fill that new set of pipes.
But here’s why I’m a cynic. During the summer of 2006 my wife was part of a curriculum development team that got six laptops from the district to use for the process. Since she had been warned that some of the laptop had problems, she asked me to clean them up.
I did. Three had vile viruses, all were missing Windows updates, etc. Fortunately I’d donned latex gloves and two condoms before firing the buggers up, so I was somewhat safe. When I opened the CD drive on one of the units, a gambling (poker and other games) CD popped out. I spent a weekend cleaning them up — I was really afraid to look at the contents of the “My Documents” folder on any of the computer and just deleted the contents — so that the team could march forth with the curriculum.
Mike, some more rambling on the subject … there’s a motive behind all legislation of this kind, and its usually driven by business interests. Somebody brought this proposal to Reps Harvin and Loftis, and only a somebody like Sprint stands to gain from it. Nevertheless, there’s nothing sinister in SC demonstrating some technology leadership with the right partner, if that partner makes the proper financial contribution without undue expectation of taxpayer financing.
The reality of creating public infrastructure of any kind is that it’s costly and takes time. In this case, profit is the only motive that justifies the expense.
And as you point out, people don’t always use public computers or networks for their intended purposes. Potential for abuse is inherent in the process. I work with dozens of university IT departments and private-sector IT groups nationwide. It’s pretty well proven that the only way to keep networks or PCs clean is to lock them down so users may only do their jobs. In fact, many of the clients I work with disallow Internet access completely — especially in work environments that require intranet services only. … Most people don’t know or care, but our own Department of Homeland Security views Microsoft Internet Explorer as the primary vulnerability in the event of terrorist attack on the nation’s business and financial networks. Their official recommendation to protect computers against attack: Don’t connect to the Internet. Period. And if you must go online, disconnect after you’ve gotten what you need — by physically pulling the plug. That’s our national policy, and however ludicrous it may seem, they’re right. There is no protection against a determined attacker. Symantec or the like can only protect us from the known stuff, not the new. And nothing can protect against massive denial of service attacks. … All it will take is an online attack on our financial centers to change the world of open Internet access.
And in the end, no matter who pays for WiMAX, it would be just another network, another portal to the web, and another point of vulnerability. As with existing public networks, Internet access has inherent educational value, regardless of state-specific curriculums. But in truth, we could accomplish the same goal in a more secure fashion by just putting more PCs in our schools and public libraries. Nothing says the world must be wireless. The move to wireless is driven by businesses like Sprint, who want us to pay for airtime. Everything else eyewash.
These are all good comments and quality concerns. Let me clarify some mistakes. First, the State not another Telecom Carrier would operate this network. There is nothing in this for the Tel. Companies. They could gain new customers for their own networks which supply the general public, but not the State’s Cloud.
Second, WiMax is a technology standard: just like Wi-Fi. It doesn’t belong to any Tel Carriers. It has a maximum range of 15 miles radius and 30 miles diameter. It is now being placed on every computer chip that Intel makes. So it is here today and will be tomorrow.
Third, you can purchase NIC cards and equipment for your computer today that looks just like Wi-Fi equipment. Go to ZyXel Company’s web site and check it out. Costs will come down soon, and you will be able to purchase WiMax equipment at Best Buy.
Fourth, a number of Giant companies are looking at South Carolina to install this type network. They can then use our small state as a micro lab for new products they intend to to sell. You would be floored if you knew how large an opportunity we have.
Fifth, if none of this works out, we could still sell all our ETV licenses and installed equipment for a big, and I mean big, profit. It’s absolutely a no lose situation for South Carolina.
But, like USC, we always find a way to “snatch defeat from the jaws of victroy!”
Having the State run a phone company, or Internet provider, or an electric utility is unAmerican. It is socialist, specifically of the fascist type. They state has no ability to build a phone system. It will hire it done, and you can bet those bidding will be giving money to politicians.
If WiMax in the schools, or towns, or a coffee shop is a good idea, a business will invest in it. Whenever you hear someone saying that government has to do it because they have a vision, you know it is a stinking money loser.
USC is a good example. Look at their failed research park off I-77. Finished in 1988, still no research in it, yet Sorensen says he will build a bigger one, without any firm plans, and the companies will just come.
The naysayers and skeptics need look no farther that Milwaukee Public schools who expect to receive $100 mil for the 30 year lease of 12 licenses. South Carolina has 67, do the math. Obviously critics are not aware of the technology opportunities in education.
If the public schools are going to lease cable bandwidth, advertising, or anything else, why not use that income to reduce taxes, instead of blowing it as fast as possible?
I know that is a novel concept to public servants, but why not try it?
Libraries already use filters to prevent certain types of internet access. The WIFI cloud could do the same. Make access free to everyone. Show the world that we are not “300 years of history unmarred by progress”. Sure the hard core hackers can defeat the filters. So, how many folks are we talking about versus the common good. Go for it!
There is no free WiFi.
There is no free healthcare.
There is no free lunch.
It’s all about ripping off that minority called the “taxpayers”.
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