WiFi in West U.

Last month, Mayor Bill White announced plans to build a wireless network to cover downtown and surrounding business districts. Last week, West University Place said it is also looking into going WiFi. Who’ll implement first? Our money is on West U.

For West U., the implementation will be much easier because it’s a smaller area. Also, it doesn’t hurt that the city has a little more money behind it (the average income for a West U. resident is over $130,000). The city wants to use wireless to enhance city services to residents and save money in the long run (it will eliminate the $42,000 the city spends on meter readers alone!).

Politicians and telecommunication companies are still debating the citywide WiFi issue. Texas congressman and former SBC employee Pete Sessions is promoting a bill that would ban towns and cities from wiring themselves for broadband. Oh, Sessions also owns over half a million dollars' worth of stock in SBC. Ahem.

There is hope for potential WiFi cities. Last month, New Orleans announced its plans to become WiFi. Last week, Tempe, Ariz., became the latest to go wireless.

Houstonist applauds efforts to make Houston WiFi. That way, we’ll be able to post while sitting in Galleria-area traffic during the holidays.