[Sng-discuss] NW Seward part of Wireless Minneapolis Demo project

[Sheldon Mains]

The part of Seward that is North of 25th Street and West of 28th Avenue
(approximately) is one of two pilot areas for the Minneapolis Citywide
Wireless project. (You may have noticed the strange new attachments to some
city street lights.)

Some information is at http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/wirelessminneapolis/.
More is scattered around the Digital Access site (a local nonprofit) at
http://www.digitalaccess.org/

There will be a public meeting and demo at Brian Coyle Center on Friday July
14.  More information is in the email below:

sheldon
.................................
Sheldon Mains
Technology solutions for nonprofit organizations.
612-618-7149, smains at visi.com
http://sheldonmains.efoliomn1.com/
2718 East 24th Street
Seward Neighborhood, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55406  

> -----Original Message-----
> Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2006 1:13 PM
> Subject: [Ccan-announce] Community Events,Wireless 
> Minneapolis Pilots Launching!
> 
> Please spread the word!
> 
> The two vendors vying for the Wireless Minneapolis contract 
> have built and are now testing pilot area wireless Internet 
> networks in two Minneapolis neighborhoods.  Broadband access 
> via these networks will be free and open to the public during 
> the 60 day trial period.
> 
> The areas covered are roughly those illustrated on two maps 
> available at http://www.digitalaccess.org/  (see the links at 
> the top of the left column on home page). While the network 
> will be up and down during the trials because of testing, we 
> should begin seeing the network signal in these areas later 
> next week. 
> 
> DO NOT CANCEL YOUR INTERNET SERVICE (YET), this is only a test!
> 
> To help launch the technical test trials, community 
> demonstration events have been planned, and are scheduled as follows:
> 
> ---North Side Pilot Demonstration Event: Saturday, July 8th 
> from 10-2 PM at the Phyllis Wheatley Center, just north of 
> Hwy 55, 1301 10th Ave North
> 
> ---South Side Pilot Demonstration Event: Friday, July 14th 
> from 4-8 PM at the Brian Coyle Center in Cedar Riverside 
> Area, 420 15th Avenue South
>  
> AGENDA
> * Welcome by elected officials, and agency hosts (5 min)
> * City of Minneapolis, BIS Presentation (10 min)
> * Digital Inclusion Efforts Presentation (10 min)
> * Youth Presentation related to community survey project (10 
> min- North side event only)
> * Vendor Presentation, demonstrate login to access wireless 
> network (15 min)
> * Q&A (open ended)
> 
> Presentations will be followed by....
> A "Community Technology Share Fair" (open throughout the event):
> An open-to-the-public , wireless 20 laptop mobile lab, 
> sponsored by CTEP AmeriCorps, including demos by Twin Cities 
> Beehive/211 and TC Daily Planet, IBM Teaming 4 Technology/ 
> Assistive Technology, City of Minneapolis online services, 
> e-Democracy, and other online applications.
> 
> Wireless vendors will be available to demonstrate how to use 
> their networks during the trials, and we will continue to 
> collect input related to community benefits/community 
> technology needs.
> 
> We have asked vendors to demo parental controls, and have 
> hardware on display that people will need to access the 
> network inside homes and offices, both using desktop and  
> laptop computers.
> 
> Please come to these events, and spread the word via other 
> lists and through other off-line methods (newsletters, 
> flyers, etc)  to help reach non-Internet connected residents...
> 
> (Thanks to Unisys and the City of Minneapolis for securing 
> laptops for use during these events.)
> 
> --
> Catherine Settanni, Project Coordinator
> CTEP- The Community Technology Empowerment Project
> 2402 University Ave W #600
> St. Paul, MN 55114
> http://www.c-can.org
> v:612.724.9097