City of Philadelphia to buy municipal WiFi network from Network Acquisition

Technically Philly's interactive timeline follows the history of Wireless Philadelphia. To see the full resolution version of the timeline, click through the image.

The City of Philadelphia plans to purchase for $2 million the city-wide wireless network once known as Wireless Philadelphia, currently owned and operated by Network Acquisition, the Inquirer reports.

The network will be utilized by the city for municipal services, like its public safety network and for its mobile city workers. Free access will remain available to the public in “targeted public spaces,” according to a City press release published by Philebrity. The City says it will need to invest $17 million through 2015 to improve the network.

The City has been in talks with Network Acquisition since it began convening stakeholders earlier this year to talk about the future of Philadelphia’s technology ecosystem, as we reported in our comprehensive Digital Philadelphia coverage.

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City CTO and community to publicly discuss broadband policy at One Web Day kick-off

Nothing says civic duty like a town hall meeting. Now it’s Philly tech’s turn.

City Chief Technology Officer Allan Frank and a handful of influential members of Philadelphia’s technology community will hold a public panel this month to discuss broadband policy, Digital Philadelphia and the city’s technology future.

The September 22 panel, hailed as One Web Day Philly‘s inaugural event, marks the first public discussion concerning Digital Philadelphia since Frank reached out to members of technology community earlier this year.

“With all the energy that’s gone into broadband expansion over the last few months because of the stimulus grant,” One Web Day Philly organizer Gwen Shaffer says, “we need to think about how we’re going to build on that momentum, and make sure there’s public input.”

Discussion will surround a pivotal question that Frank has been meek to respond to: If Philadelphia doesn’t receive federal broadband stimulus money, how will the city realize the Division of Technology’s Digital Philadelphia vision and the Nutter administration’s promise to expand Internet access in Philadelphia?

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Shop Talk: Specticast streams Philadelphia Orchestra performances to seniors

Chief Conductor Charles Dutoit leads The Philadelphia Orchestra. | Photo: Chris Lee/The Philadelphia Orchestra Association

For seniors living in retirement communities, getting out to attend cultural events can be a demanding task.

Mark Rupp, one of the co-founders of Rittenhouse-based Specticast, is hoping to change that.

Launched in May, Specticast broadcasts live high definition performances and speaking engagements from the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Free Library directly to those communities around the country.

The company, which held its inaugural event with the Philadelphia Orchestra in June, had an overwhelming response, Rupp says.

“We’ve surveyed residents, even people that have been going [to the Philadelphia Orchestra] for years. When they see our broadcast live, it is often that the thing they enjoy the most is being up on stage with the performers,” Rupp says.

“Now they’re able to get up-close and personal and see the conductor’s face.”

According to surveys conducted in 2008, seniors rave about the service. More than 60 percent said they’d be willing to spend more than $16 dollars on a performance. Sixty-seven percent said that the event was more enjoyable than other events scheduled by the community.

They’re certainly not kicking themselves for choosing the senior market.

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