Why no Wi-Fi in the 'burgh?

The other day I heard a disturbing factoid on the radio- Mayor Luke Raventstahl's administration has put city-wide Wi-Fi on ice. In the not-so-distant past, local politicians crowed about a new program that allowed anybody in the downtown area free wireless access to the Internet for two hours a day. This service is indeed still available there, but plans to expand access from the West End to the East Hills have been shelved. Apparently it would cost the city "millions of dollars" for that type of widespread service. So our fearless leaders have resolved to sit back and wait for six months to a year. Perhaps new technology will inspire some company to provide the system at no cost. Or maybe the necessary equipment will become radically cheaper soon. This conjecture comes on the heels of a limited period in which companies were offering it all to cities for free.

Councilman Bill Peduto (who has been active in driving a proposal for citywide Wi-Fi) supports the wait-and-see attitude. Despite the perception that he is among the more progressive politicos in our community, he appears to prefer the conservative approach on this issue. That's a real shame, because we are in the position of having to depend on the few forward-thinkers in town if anything is ever going to get done. It seems that if it has to do with a major sports team, it's a priority. But if it entails widespread benefit to city residents, yet no particular prestige for bureaucratic functionaries, then there is an almost infinite reserve of patience available from the Mayor and City Council.

I'm constantly hearing complaints that Pittsburgh fails to attract and maintain a vibrant population of young people. Now that I am a married homeowner approaching middle age, that's not a particularly imminent concern for me. However, it seems to me that those who embrace such attitudes should be fighting tooth-and-nail for comprehensive Wi-Fi now. Who needs the provision of free Internet services most? What demographic is most active on the World Wide Web? Who would benefit most from being able to go out to the cafe and bar and still get meaningful work done in the prized moments between bouts of socialization? Do we want a dynamic atmosphere to give the impression that we are an 'edgy' city worthy of long term investment? Or is business-as-usual a satisfactory strategy?

Personally I've heard just about enough out of Ravenstahl and Peduto about entertaining new ideas to take us into a bright and shiny future. I'm a hockey fan, so I'm glad the Penguins are getting an arena... but enough already. We give lip service to improving the quality of life for the kids, but then divert all our attention to the exploits of a bunch of grown children playing their silly games. So many people invest so much energy into something they have no control over, and no real stake in. You want to experience a truly dead city? Go out on to the streets of Pittsburgh while the Steelers are on television. Believe me...it's the best time to go to the grocery store or the laundromat. There is an eerie silence, and nothing moves outdoors.

Many will protest that watching their football heroes brings people together. Unfortunately a collective of folks congregating over nonsense is mostly wasted, unless they are actually interacting instead of watching television. Meanwhile the Internet is constantly inspiring real connectivity- not just locally, but internationally. Perhaps true engagement requires occupying a meaningful position on the global grid. Just because the possibilities of the Internet are virtually limitless doesn't mean we should be intimidated by it. We're going to remain an isolated and provincial backwater until we fully embrace fresh sources of information exchange. What better way would there be to demonstrate such a commitment than to ensure that everyone here has unlimited wireless Internet access?