Biz Talk - Business Blog Roanoke and Beyond

This is a followup to my post on the Downtown Roanoke Wi-Fi project.   I was recently invited to attend a meeting with Roanoke City regarding the Downtown WIFI Hotzone.  Clearly Roanoke has been identified nationally as a technology leader and as a model for cities considering a downtown Wi-Fi hotspot.  Seattle, WA modeled their system after Roanoke. 

It was clearly recognized by those attending the meeting that the level and consistency of the service has deteriorated over the years and more attention needs to be placed on making the Wi-Fi service readily available in the designated areas.  It was also agreed that there was very little marketing done to promote the downtown Wi-Fi service.

Suggestions included:

1. Help Downtown Roanoke to understand the importance of Wi-Fi as a marketing tool.
2. Getting local downtown businesses involved in promoting the free Wi-Fi hotzone.
3. Work with the technical service provider (Cox) to offer local downtown businesses a hotspot using less expensive hardware to amplify the signal to their business.

These points were aimed to locally heighten the interest in the Downtown Wi-Fi project.  There have also been two recent articles in the Roanoke Times by Duncan Adams.  Roanoke Wi-Fi lingers on fritz and Downtown wireless may finally be fixed.

Based on this second article that the service MAY be fixed, I was delighted and scheduled a business meeting at the Roanoke City Market Building's International Food Court.  I started using the Wi-Fi connection but within 10 minutes it had slowed to a crawl and then it quit.  I was totally embarrassed without my technical tool.

If I were a business person or impressionable young professional visiting the area this would have definitely tarnished my image of Roanoke as a digital or technology leader.

What's the City of Roanoke's next step to monitor and maintain the Wi-Fi consistency?  Brian Brown, from Roanoke City's Office of Economic Development, told me that the City does have a plan.  He said within the next 3-6 months they will be doing a series of improvements, including upgrading the Wi-Fi technology at the City Market Building.  They intend to improve the consistency of the W-Fi connection.  Local users and vistors will greet this improvement with welcome arms! 

Let us know if you have any additions we can add to our Wi-Fi list at www.RoanokeBiz2Biz.com.

When I learn of a restaurant or business in Roanoke that has WiFi, I get really excited.    I look to meet clients at a central location in Roanoke that has free wireless internet or a WiFi hotspot for business meetings.  If I am on the south side of town there are several nice restaurants and coffee shops I can use.  When I am downtown there are a few places I can go.  Trying to access the City of Roanoke's WiFi Hotzone can be rather frustrating.  You never know if it will work and for how long.  I don't have a dependable connection to conduct a business meeting! 

Roanoke City (recognized as the "Top Digital City" last year) installed the WiFi in 2003/2004.  What has been done since then?  What are the future plans for upgrades?  Who really cares if it works or not? 

There are lots of people that care and would use the service.  Roanoke is struggling to keep and attract young professionals (see article on Stuart Mease recently published in the Roanoke Times.

In fact this article brought an email on this subject to Stuart from Greg Hudgins, a former Roanoker, now a professional living in Northern Va.  Greg shared with Stuart…

"I find Roanoke to be a pretty hip small city and would think it is doing a better job of retaining younger folks than when I left.  One suggestion I have for Stuart as a visitor from a larger metropolitan area, DC, and as a measurement I use to gauge a cities "hip-ness" is its WIFI availability. As an OD consultant who travels a lot for my business, it is a plus for me when I visit a city and can find easy web and internet access. It is far more appealing when I find a city that supports their community by making WIFI free and easily accessible.

Roanoke promotes its free WIFI downtown in the market area but it doesn’t work. I think Roanoke is missing out on an opportunity in this regard and could use it to attract a younger demographic. When I ask Roanoker’s on the market for advice about it, they say it hasn’t worked well for years."

Obviously, it is important and people do care. So what plans does the city have to revamp it's WiFi hotzone? 

Roanoke Biz2Biz has always had an interest in WiFi hotspots in the Roanoke and New River Valleys.  We have compiled a list of WIFI Hotspots across Roanoke, Salem, New River Valley and Lynchburg.  We update the list as new locations are added.  If you can add to our list please comment here or email wifi@roanokebiz2biz.com.