Keeping Up With Cedar Rapids – "Got Wi-Fi?"

Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Passengers on public buses can surf the Web. Also, the bus driver can view surveillance cameras and even hit a silent alarm that dispatches video wirelessly to the nearest patrolling officer.

— Buffalo, Minn. Citizens can log on to a site and request a work order (such as filling a pot hole), which is dispatched wirelessly to the nearest field worker.

— Providence, R.I. Police officers and medical responders get real-time access to suspect profiles and medical records. In fact, a firefighter can access the floor plan of a building that is on fire.

Yes, it’s a trend–muni Wi-Fi. This is when cities or municipalities sanction, fund, develop or even operate a wireless broadband network. And the market is expected to grow at a rapid clip. Over the next three years, municipalities are forecasted to spend $700 million on such networks, according to a study from MuniWireless.

Tom Taulli

Full Story: http://www.forbes.com/entrepreneurs/2005/11/29/entrepreneurs-wifi-google-cx_tt_1130straightup.html?partner=moreover