City considers making Mall wireless

By Rachana Dixit

Published: June 26, 2008

Fifth Street resident Patti Edson had a one-word reaction when she heard about free WiFi potentially coming to the entire Downtown Mall: “Wow.”

According to city officials, free wireless Internet service, or WiFi, is being considered as part of the $7.5 million mall renovation slated to begin early next year.

Though free WiFi connections already exist in select locations — Java Java, Mudhouse and Café Cubano, to name a few — city spokesman Ric Barrick said this is the first organized plan to make a unified network along the entire pedestrian path.

“Right now there are some holes in terms of where you can get WiFi service,” Barrick said.

Joe Schinstock, project manager of MMM Design Group, which is overseeing the renovation, said the city’s Information Technology department is exploring a design for installation. But if the WiFi can’t be installed in-house, an outside consultant would be contracted for the work.

The total cost for equipment and construction is estimated to be between $50,000 and $60,000. Officials could not provide an estimated cost for the annual operation.

Schinstock said two options are being considered for installing the network, which would be done in the same timeframe as the mall overhaul. The first would be to use wireless transceivers installed in multiple locations so no cables would be in the ground. However, Schinstock said, given the nature of the mall and its high tree canopies, there is a greater likelihood of signal interference.

The second option is the more likely, though it entails more construction: putting fiber-optic cables underground, which could branch out to about 12 antennas installed all over the mall.

“Because of the mature tree canopy, we’re more likely to go with the hardwire system,” Schinstock said.

Other localities in the state have installed similar WiFi systems.

In the summer of 2003, Roanoke installed free WiFi zones in its downtown area, centered within the Market Square area with coverage available outdoors in one to two blocks in all directions.

Edson, who said she visits the mall once or twice per month with her family, added that the WiFi is especially fitting for Charlottesville because it is a university community.

“There are a lot of thinkers here,” she said.

But having an free WiFi service has its risks, including hackers potentially intercepting valuable information and using it for dubious purposes. Schinstock said the city IT department is investigating possible security issues, but how it would be made completely safe for users remains unclear. Users of Roanoke’s service are required to create a username and password for identification purposes — but Schinstock said the city has not decided what it would use.

“There is a recognition that having an open network could potentially open Pandora’s box for anyone who uses it,” Schinstock said.

Despite this, many say that mall-wide WiFi can’t be beat on grounds of sheer convenience. Java Java Manager Susan Leschke said the downtown coffee locale has had WiFi since it opened six years ago, and the shop has undoubtedly prospered more because of it.

“As time goes on it really is going to be everywhere,” Leschke said. “You really can’t do without it.”