Gahanna, Ohio is the latest Ohio community to get large scale Wi-Fi coverage, thanks to a local ISP called HighSpeedAir. The service is open to residents, businesses and government employees of Gahanna. Part of the city’s Broadband Initiative, the primary goals of this system are to enhance public safety and improve the city’s operational efficiencies, while also offering a valuable broadband service option to the community that is now available to the public to purchase.
“I am excited to see yet another component of our Broadband Initiative come online,” said City Council President Tom Kneeland. “This partnership between the City of Gahanna and HighSpeedAir is just another example of how proper planning and visioning can benefit everyone.”
One area of increased efficiency for the City of Gahanna includes almost instantaneous information dissemination for police, who can also file field reports from cruisers without returning to the dispatch center. It also allows the police to have improved communications and receive real-time information during emergencies.
City-wide WiFi service also provides yet another benefit for current and future businesses in Gahanna. Gahanna has already invested in the fiber infrastructure that sets it apart and now city-wide wireless allows businesses to use that connectivity virtually anywhere in the city.
“Not only does this service set Gahanna apart from other cities as being an ideal location for businesses, but this is also a fantastic service for our residents and visitors,” said Becky Stinchcomb, Mayor of Gahanna. “I could not wait to sign up for this service that keeps me connected no matter where I am in the City.”
HighSpeedAir uses Cisco equipment and its gateway, managed by ProntoNetworks, provides an automated payment platform for a range of service plans, including the Bronze Plan, a basic monthly subscription for $19.95.
Other plans are available at http://gahanna.highspeedair.com or by calling 614-718-9304. Access to the system also can be achieved by connecting to the HighSpeedAir or the CitywideWiFi SSID located in the users’ view of available networks, launching the web browser and following the registration instructions.
Gahanna and Dublin, OH used to have WiFi networks deployed by a company called DHB. I’ve emailed the former CEO of DHB who appears to be with HighSpeedAir for an explanation.
I was excited when I saw “CitywideWifi” when looking for a wireless connection.. I thought “FINALLY, we get citywide wifi!” Then i clicked it and saw that it wasn’t free. It bothered me so much that I blocked it from showing up. It’s basically a slap in the face to see that my city has wifi everywhere, but you have to pay for it. Philadelphia doesn’t do that, but hey, I guess this is Ohio. Might as well pay for 3G internet on your cellphone connection.
Max,
Don’t they have some free WiFi hotzones?
I am about 100 yards from the intersection of Havens Corner and Hamilton Road (100 block of N Hamilton), which is the center of Gahanna – just down the street from City Hall and we have zero signal strength inside our building (1 story 1000 sq feet) and sporadic signal strength in the parking lot. It is obviously not of any use at any price to Gahanna residents or businesses at this time. No signal strength inside McDonalds either
at 110 N Hamilton Rd.
Our company has been working diligently over the past 4 months to fine tune, expand, and improve the network we launched in May of this year.
We currently have 123 active hot zones, 802.11n, and zero nodes that exceed 4 hops from our fiber backbone. We’ve partnered with both EnGenius and PepWave to offer two excellent client connectivity options. These devices are affordable and offer significant performance and coverage enhancements.
We have lowered our prices and now offer a 1.5 x .5mbps plan for only $10.00. We will also be providing student discounts of $5.00 per student and free access for children who qualify for free lunch. We’re collaborating with the schools to even further improve the quality of the network.
I believe you’ll fine that compared to many other failed municipal WiFi endeavors, what we have done to build a world class infrastructure while sustaining a healthy financial model in Dublin and Gahanna is something that makes this combined strategy viable for other communities.
Regards – CMH
Didn’t DHB go bankrupt? What happened to all that money the city of Gahanna paid them?
Would like to know how far north you reach right now. Condo’s just south of old 161 off Hamilton Road. If not, is it in your plans?
Why do I consistently get a pop-up while driving through Gahanna or Dublin while using any data service on my iPhone4? I do not want your service nor the option to use it or sign up for an account. I have not been on your network and do not have my device set to search for networks. Why does yours pop up? How can I block it?
I don’t know why the Gahanna and Dublin networks show up on your iPhone. To stop them from showing up, just tell your iPhone to “forget this network” by going to the Settings.