Nashua Wi-Fi Up

As noted below, the much-anticipated launch of Nashua's wi-fi has been well, much anticipated, due to various delays. My follow-up inquiry to the Telegraph Weds night about the project status was met a front-page story the next morning: Downtown Wi-Fi up and running, sort of. I love the article and the comments below it -- all the same old tired arguments! I'm sure one easily predict the reactions in every place that tries to put wi-fi in their downtowns, because they're always the same. What's more, they seem to break along political lines, with Republicans typically arguing ("infringing free markets," "wasting tax dollars," etc.), despite the evidence that wi-fi is an effective economic development tool for small businesses, and despite the fact that the US is far behind in broadband deployment. Anyway, good luck to the Nashua Chamber and its partners in this; we'll be watching and rooting for you from Portsmouth.

Nashua Wi-Fi Up July 4?

Very interesting, in-depth, and somewhat contentious article in the Nashua Telegraph here on Nashua's troubles getting its wi-fi project up and running. There's some good old-fashioned finger-pointing going on, since the launch has been delayed several times already, and they've given themselves another hard deadline of July 4th. "Our reputations are on the line," says Nashua Chamber of Commerce President Chris Williams. Talk about backing yourself into a corner! Then old friend Bob Goldstein from SingleDigits has some pointed things to say about how the project has been handled, or mishandled, so far.