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Wireless Oakland Frequently Asked Questions
Listed below are questions frequently asked about the Wireless Oakland Project.
What is Wireless Oakland?
When will this service be available in my area?
Is my home or business in a pilot area?
What is the speed of the network?
What technology will be used to create the network?
What can I expect when Wireless Oakland is available in my area?
Does Oakland County plan on owning and operating the wireless network?
Why is Wireless Oakland important to the future of Oakland County?
What does Oakland County mean by "wireless blanket"?
How do I get additional information on the Wireless Oakland initiative?
What is Wireless Oakland?
Wireless Oakland is an initiative launched by County Executive L. Brooks Patterson that consists of three goals. The first goal is to blanket the County's 910 square miles with wireless internet service, with a portion of bandwidth available for free to every person in Oakland County. The second goal will directly address the "digital-divide" that exists within Oakland County and provide low-cost or no-cost PC's and technology training to vulnerable population groups. Finally, the third goal of the initiative will develop a Telecommunication and Technology Planning Toolkit for Local Governments that supports continued high-tech investments in local government and promotes the integration of those investments with local community character and quality of life.
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When will this service be available in my area?
The implementation schedule for the remaining communities scheduled to receive "free" wireless Internet service will be delayed temporarily. MichTel Communications LLC., the primary Wireless Oakland partner, is seeking the required funding to complete the project.
As a result the service is no longer available in the pilot areas. Once funding has been obtained, MichTel plans to restore service, and the build out of the rest of the county will follow shortly thereafter.
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Is my home or business in a pilot area?
You can determine if your home or business is in a pilot area by reviewing the maps of the  pilot areas.
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What is the speed of the network?
The free service will be 128 kbps up and down.
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What technology will be used to create the network?
As a general strategy, the Wireless Oakland initiative will support consumer-based wireless technologies so the cost for the public to use the internet service is minimized. The first phase of the build-out will be done with wi-fi (wireless fidelity) technology. Migrations to future technology will coincide with their availability in the marketplace.
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What can I expect when Wireless Oakland is available in my area?
The Wireless Oakland network is an outdoor wireless service that is installed at the street level. The service is expected to penetrate the exterior walls of typical residential buildings or homes. In general, materials used to construct the building may affect signal strength within the building itself. Similar to cell phone technology, the signal may be stronger in some areas of your home than others. Coverage within commercial, industrial and high rise buildings is particularly difficult and as such must be engineered by MichTel Communications and their partners.
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Does Oakland County plan on owning and operating the wireless network?
NO, Oakland County will not own or operate the wireless network. Instead, Oakland County will create a public/private partnership(s) by providing private businesses access to the assets in which Oakland County taxpayers have already funded. In exchange, the partner(s) will be required to provide free wireless internet access to residents, businesses and visitors within Oakland County. In addition, private sector partners will sell additional services above and beyond those free services. All profits from the wireless network will be realized by the private sector partners. Additionally, no tax or grant dollars will be used to subsidize the creation of the wireless network. The cost of the build-out will be completely funded by the private sector.
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Why is Wireless Oakland important to the future of Oakland County?
The benefits of this project are nearly endless, but fundamentally, the goal of Wireless Oakland is to prepare the residents of Oakland County for the jobs of tomorrow. As businesses go high-tech; and more high-tech firms locate and relocate their businesses within Oakland County; the residents of the County must be prepared to fill the jobs those businesses have to offer.
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What does Oakland County mean by "wireless blanket"?
Many existing wireless implementations are point-to-point networks, meaning there is a device on a structure communicating with a device on a home or business. Point-to-point infrastructure can send wireless signals many miles, but it does not broadcast the signal in a way that it can be used to access the internet on the path between devices. A "wireless blanket" will provide access to the internet all over the county with the use of a device installed in a personal computer, laptop, PDA, or similar device.
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How do I get additional information on the Wireless Oakland initiative?
The Wireless Oakland Project Team will use it's website to communicate with interested parties. If you have specific questions that are not answered on the website, please email wocp@michtel.com.
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