Deal Between City and AEPCO One of First in Region and Seen as Benefit to Visitors and as Economic Development Tool
ROCKVILLE, Md., October 12, 2007 – WiFi (wireless Internet) access in the Town Square development in Town Center is now available and working. Plans were approved for this service by the Mayor and Council of Rockville in June, making Rockville one of the first communities in the region to have free wireless access in its downtown area.
The free WiFi access is available to the public in the outdoor areas of Town Square including the public plaza and in the future along the streets within Town Square (Maryland Avenue and Gibbs Street). Users can connect to the network by selecting the Ricochet WiFi network through their wireless device.
"This is a fantastic way to attract people to Town Square and to further bolster the health and growth of this exciting venture," said Mayor Larry Giammo. "As with the rest of the development, this exemplifies the tremendous potential of cooperative public-private partnerships. The business people, private sector employees, government employees, students, and others who visit Town Center will be able to use their laptops, WiFi-enabled cell phones, PDAs, and other wireless enabled mobile communications devices while enjoying our plaza and other outdoor areas."
Under the set of agreements approved by the Mayor and Council, Advanced Engineering and Planning Corporation, Inc. (AEPCO) is the provider of the WiFi service; the City does not own, maintain, or operate the WiFi network.
In return for awarding the contract to AEPCO, the City receives free WiFi accounts for its mobile workforce and other employees. "As WiFi expands throughout the City, this service will save the City money while keeping our inspectors and other mobile workers in the field, and allow them to be able to communicate via computer with City Hall, as well as obtain and update information," said Michael Q. Cannon, the City's Director of Information and Technology.
AEPCO will also provide the City with two outdoor cameras, one that will be located near the clock tower and the other on the Arts and Innovating Building to provide images of Town Square to the public via the Web.
AEPCO's business model for the wireless Internet service allows for paid subscriptions for residents and businesses that want to have a higher bandwidth and a higher quality of service for indoor areas within Town Square. AEPCO is also selling advertising for the initial "splash" page that will appear when users first connect to the network. The City has a presence on the splash page with links to special events and the City's Web site as well.
AEPCO, along with its partner Civitas Networks, plans to offer the Ricochet WiFi service beyond Town Square in the future. Their intent is to eventually offer citywide service to businesses and residents for a monthly paid subscription. AEPCO has indicated that citywide expansion could occur within 24 months.
"Our Information and Technology Department, Legal Department, and management staff, and management staff, along with AEPCO, deserve a great deal of credit for their ingenuity, creativeness, hard work, and vision in bringing this project to fruition for the benefit of our community," said Mayor Giammo.
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