Sisters explores its own wireless ‘cloud’

There may be a “cloud” hanging over Sisters in coming years, but it’s not the kind that blocks the sun.

City Councilor Brad Boyd reported to the council Thursday night, March 23, that he and City Manager Eileen Stein have been discussing with OutlawNet and others the possibility of creating wireless Internet coverage for the Sisters downtown area.

Boyd said that at this point he believes the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce should take the lead on the project with OutlawNet and that chamber officials are exploring the idea.

Boyd said OutlawNet requires somewhere between $10,000 and $14,000 in infrastructure investment to pursue the favored option for “Shared Revenue Subscription Based Access.”

The preferred plan calls for a choice of connection speeds (512 Kb or up to 1 Mb/sec) with users such as tourists paying $6 per day for the slower connection or $10 per day for the faster one. The guest could also opt for a weekly or monthly fee. Transactions would be paid for by credit card.

According to OutlawNet’s proposal, the city (or the chamber) would make the initial investment in software, equipment and installation; OutlawNet and Juniper Broadband would manage the system and revenues would be split between the parties involved.

Boyd said the service area would roughly match the Sisters City Limits and include the local motels. Some motels have wi-fi service available to guests but it is limited in its scope. Wireless capabilities also exist at the Sisters Library and at City Hall, though City Hall does not offer public access.

Councilors noted that users would be able to sit on a park bench downtown during an event like the quilt show and work on their laptop computers.

While the idea is geared largely toward creating a service for tourists, councilors noted that local residents and business people would likely find the system useful as well.

Governor Ted Kulongoski emphasized the importance of wireless technology for creating viable local economies during a visit to Sisters last winter. That statement gave City Manager Eileen Stein impetus to explore wireless possibilities for Sisters.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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