BY DIRK PERREFORT
Hearst Connecticut Media
Mayor Mark Boughton recently proposed a new amenity for downtown Danbury and other economic centers in the city that he hopes will become an attraction for businesses and area residents ”“ free Wi-Fi.
Boughton, during his State of the City address last week, said he is in discussions with Connecticut Light & Power about purchasing all of the light poles in the city, an endeavor that could cost up to $3 million. Boughton said he hopes to save the city money by installing LED bulbs in the light poles, while using those savings for additional services ”“ like Wi-Fi ”“ in some areas.
“It would be too cost prohibitive to provide the service throughout the city, but we are looking at certain targeted areas including business corridors and along the downtown revitalization zone,” he said. “People who are dining on Ives Street could catch a signal, or students waiting for their next class at Naugatuck Valley Community College could access the service.”
And while municipal Wi-Fi services may not be the panacea that some people hope, Christopher Furey, the founder and CEO of Virtual Density, an IT consulting service on Main Street, said it could be attractive to new residents and startup businesses in the corridor.
“It could be an attractive feature for a startup company that doesn’t have the money to pay $150 a month for Internet service,” he said. “I could also see it being an attractive asset for those looking to rent apartments in the area.”
Furey, who has been involved with a number of municipal Wi-Fi projects, said it’s usually a crapshoot.
“People want to light up the downtown so it will be a big draw and a big amenity,” he said. “But it doesn’t always work out that way. Of course those areas usually have a variety of other challenges to contend with as well.”
But with an expansion of the community college and new housing coming online, Furey said he is bullish on downtown Danbury.
“The amenity can certainly be attractive, especially to startups, in an area like Danbury that’s poised for growth,” he said.
Hearst Connecticut Media includes four daily newspapers: Connecticut Post, Greenwich Time, The Advocate (Stamford) and The News Times (Danbury). See newstimes.com for more from this reporter.
