Library As A Community Wi-Fi Hub

Jarrid Keller, CIOCalifornia State Library

Purpose

Create a 1 mile wi-fi broadcast from the Whittier Public Library to the surrounding community.

Sustainable and robust solution to provide future citywide service..

Create a blueprint for other communities to replicate.

Whittier Demographics

County-LA CountyPopulation-85,000Diversity-66% HispanicForeign Born-20%

Need

Per the California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF), nearly 3.4 million California households do not have high-speed Internet. Regionally, the survey (The fifth annual "Public Policy Institute of California Statewide Survey: Californians and Information Technology") found that Los Angeles County, the Central Valley and the Inland Empire fall short of the statewide adoption average.

Groups with an adoption rate below 65 percent include all Latinos (58%), Latinos who are foreign born (48%), prefer to speak Spanish (46%), and earn under $40,000 (50%). (CETF)

Broadband

Broadband is changing the way families learn, communicate, play and prepare for their future. Critically important information about health care, scholarships, colleges, jobs, and community life such as driver's licenses or registering to vote is increasingly on the Internet, and sometimes only on the Internet.

Why Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi is an alternative to traditional wired broadband.

Libraries are the hubs of the communities they serve.

The rise of mobile.

Difficulty

How hard can it be to rollout a 1 mile wi-fi broadcast to a community?

Project Challenges

Support 250 +/- simultaneous sessions supporting B/G/N bands

Project Challenges

Web Filtering

Bandwidth And Session Metering

Secure Authentication Using Library Card

Project Challenges

Politics

Territory

High Density Housing

Mother Nature

Partnerships

Reward

Library Antenna Placement

Next Steps

Soft Launch: October 2012

Go Live: November 2012

For Further Information

Jarrid Keller

Jarrid.Keller@library.ca.gov