New Orleans goes Wi-Fi

Hurricane-ravaged New Orleans will deploy the nation’s first municipally owned wireless Internet system that will be free for all users, part of an effort to jump-start recovery by making living and doing business in the city as attractive as possible.

The system, which Mayor C. Ray Nagin is scheduled to announce at a news conference today, also will be used by law enforcement and for an array of city government functions, such as speeding approval of building permits.

IMO, this will do more for New Orleans’ homeland security efforts than anything else they’ve done so far.  The primary failure of New Orleans during Katrina was not a lack of resources or people, it was a complete breakdown of communication.  There is no standard, there is no unified backbone.  The nifty thing about wi-fi is it can do a lot more than cruise the internet.  And, it doesn’t rely totally on mechanical connections.  If New Orleans floods again, and this wi-fi system is up and running, their communications should not be crippled.  Heck, it might not even be interrupted or disturbed.

This is the one shining point of post-Katrina New Orleans I have seen so far.  DHS needs to start implementing wi-fi in all vulnerable cities.  Now.

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  • Bryan Kerwick

    Now if only they would come up with a sensible reconstruction plan.

    The environmentalists are dead set against a sea gate similar to the one in Holland which could be closed off when it is in iminent danger. Apparently disturbing a black bear is much more agredious than saving the city of New Orleans from certain disaster again. If you recall, the proposed seagate was killed by the courts as were any attempts by the Army Corps of Engineers to shore up the levee system. As a result, the hardest hit area of New Orleans was to the poorer, primarily minority populated areas of the city, namely the lower 9th ward and East NO. These areas will most likely not be rebuilt as they are far too low below sea level and are sinking. The Liberals that prevented saving these folks are now screaming of racist conspiracy policies they are responsible for creating in the first place.

    The city will never recover completely and maybe that isn’t a totally bad thing. Not rebuilding in areas that are sure to be decimated again some time in the future will be the only real choice the government has. Turning these areas into public use facilities is a far more intelligent idea which will eliminate the previous slum are with wonderful waterfront parks.

    New Orleans will be back, better stronger safer and smaller. That is not due to racist policies but demanded by mother nature.

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