WSTPA Donates Wireless System to Nonprofit Cooperative
I am a member of the West Sound Technology Professionals Association and this press release was mailed out to all the members. I don’t see this on the site yet, so I’ll post the press release here for your perusal. This is a bit of a “local” story really, but I think it shows that there are people out there trying to provide a “third alternative” to the Cable/DSL duopoly. It’s not necessarily going to come for a for-profit company or even the government.
FYI I live in Kitsap County, so it will be interesting to see when this alternative becomes available up in my neck of the woods.
WSTPA Donates Wireless System to Nonprofit Cooperative
CIRGO to Use Equipment for Innovative Pilot Program[Silverdale, WA - June 1, 2006] — West Sound Technology Association (WSTPA) has donated Orinoco point-to-point microwave dishes and the associated hardware and software to CIRGO, a new wireless cooperative headquartered in Olympia at the Thurston County Chamber of Commerces incubator.
The system, which has a 20-30 mile range, was originally used by Airbiquity, Inc. a Seattle company formerly based on Bainbridge Island, to provide connectivity between its buildings. It was donated to WSTPA early last year by Kathryn Adams, Airbiquity’s IT Manager.
CIRGO will use the equipment as the backbone for delivery of wireless internet, with the goal of providing service at the lowest possible cost. It will have a unique structure similar to REI or Group Health, where the members of the cooperative own the business. The nonprofit encourages member participation, and surpluses are returned to them.
Installation will take place June 8th with pilot and launch dates of August 1 and September 1, respectively. In the Fall, CIRGO will begin expanding into Kitsap, Mason, Lewis, and Grays Harbor counties.
WSTPA has provided us with an excellent opportunity to realize our vision, said Douglas Goodart, a CIRGO co-founder. We are grateful to them as well as Airbiquity for their forward-thinking and philanthropic generosity.
“While we are disappointed our efforts to donate to local schools or municipalities werent met with CIRGOs level of enthusiasm or response, whats important is someone will be using it to provide low cost and ubiquitous service to the end user”, said Doña Keating, WSTPA’s president and Chairman of the Board. As a technology association dedicated to improving economic conditions for the community-at- large, this is a step in that direction. We are pleased to find an entity which will put this equipment to good use.
“This is one more example of the impact of WSTPA in our region”, added Charles Keating, Vice President of WSTPA. “Our organization was founded not only to work with technology professionals, but to reach out to the public and government leaders in partnership. The latter is not always obvious to those unfamiliar with us, but greater adoption of technology is essential to remaining competitive in a global economy. We encourage others to join the all- volunteer WSTPA in support of this mission.”
About CIRGO
CIRGO (www.cirgo.org) is a cooperative which provides reliable municipal wireless internet at the lowest possible cost. It is committed to providing a model of responsible business practices based on the principles of open membership, democratic control, limited return on share capital or investments and return of surplus income to members while growing responsibly into new regions and markets.About West Sound Technology Professionals Association
WSTPA (www.wstpa.org) is a non-profit, tax exempt 501c(3) educational organization and technology cluster dedicated to increasing public awareness of issues affecting technology, improving education through the effective integration of technology, increasing skills and the availability of opportunities for regional technology professionals, and enhancing cooperation between business, community, and educational leaders for the adoption of technology as a tool to stimulate economic development.
West Sound Technology Professionals Association
“Driving a technology future for the West Sound”
email: [email protected]
phone: 206-338-6554 or 360-551-6178
