History-Wireless and Milwaukee

ABOUT MILWAUKEE and Its People

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CAMPAIGN NEIGHBORHOOD – CFNBA

• To provide you with information on Campaign Neighborhood - CFNBA “Linking Wireless to Inner City Milwaukee Initiative”.

• To ensure a “community benefit agreement” to help guide and ensure meaningful, desired and needed access for People of Color and the Working Poor.

• To provide historic presence.

• To provide a reference point for Wireless Information and Telecommunications in general.

• To monitor the installation and growth of the 100% Wireless Network authorized by Tom Barret, Mayor and the Common Council.

• To help ensure that People of Color and the Working Poor are well-represented in:

o entrepreneurial roles
o management and basic digital employment
o continued planning - digital literacy, digital education options, digital accommodations, digital technical service, digital training, digital customer service
o enforcement of the upfront involvement of People of Color and the Working Poor - the majority of Milwaukee.

• To help ensure that Midwest Fiber Network hire People of Color for the projects and bring on People of Color to their firm.

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CITY OF MILWAUKEE TO GO 100% WIRELESS

The City of Milwaukee, Mayor and Common Council, agreed for Midwest Fiber Networks, LLC to provide Milwaukee a “Wireless Network” on January 18, 2006. Milwaukee is 97 square miles.

It is to allow the entire city to have access to the airways.

It is an 18-month project with a test area including Marquette University. The project is scheduled to be completed by mid-2008.

The Milwaukee Wireless Initiative Agreement has a number of possibilities that need fine-tuning for reassurance of ACCESS by Milwaukeeans of the Inner City.

The Agreement with Midwest Fiber Networks, LLC is for a total of 20 years – 16 consecutive years and two (2) three-year terms.

At the present time, some government-funded WIFI sites are the downtown parks, Cathedral and Pierre; and, Milwaukee Public Library.

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INCLUSIVENESS

Campaign Neighborhood – CFNBA applauded the lucrative business acquisition for Midwest Fiber Networks, LLC; however, an immediate look at the Agreement said there were not the “solutions” to ensure that Inner City Milwaukeeans have “true” access to information technology.

We know that there are mega benefits. The key is helping to ensure that ALL Milwaukeeans are connected. We have chosen to see that residential, commercial, light industrial and institutional stakeholders of the Inner City have state-of-the-art hardware, software, training, customer service, technical service, gainful employment and cost-effective services.

We also seek a Neighborhood Benefit Agreement with the City of Milwaukee to show their commitment to doing what is right; and, to stop the continued NEGLECT of People of Color and Working Poor neighborhoods.

PARTNERS

CN-CFNBA welcome partners of the Telecommunication environments to provide varied services to help make the linkage with the majority population of Milwaukee.

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What is WIFI/Wireless?

The term wireless is normally used to refer to any type of electrical or electronic operation which is accomplished without the use of a “hard wired” connection, though they may be accomplished with the use of wires if desired.

Wireless communication is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of electrical conductors or “wires”.[1] The distances involved may be short (a few meters as in television remote control) or very long (thousands or even millions of kilometers for radio communications).

The term WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY is generally used for mobile IT equipment. It encompasses cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and wireless networking. Other examples of wireless technology include GPS units, garage door openers and or garage doors, wireless computer mice and keyboards, satellite television and cordless telephones.

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CITY OF MILWAUKEE TO GO 100% WIRELESS

Two Initiatives

• City of Milwaukee — Milwaukee Wireless Initiative
• Campaign Neighborhood - CFNBA — Linking Wireless to the Inner City Initiative

Background
The City of Milwaukee, Mayor and Common Council, agreed for Midwest Fiber Networks, LLC (a private firm) to provide Milwaukee a “Wireless Network” on January 18, 2006. Milwaukee is 97 square miles.

Purpose: To allow the entire city to have access to the internet.

It is an 18-month project with a test area including Marquette University. The project has had several “delays” and is scheduled to be completed by mid-2008.

The Milwaukee Wireless Initiative Agreement agreed to by the common council and signed by the mayor is a step in the right direction to see that Milwaukeeans have access to the wide wide web. However, the rub comes with due diligence, customer care and best practices guaranteed to the stakeholders.

Our elected city administrators failed to put in place a Milwaukee Neighborhood Agreement to ensure inclusiveness of it “majority population - People of Color and the Working Poor”.

Agreement
The unprecedented Agreement with Midwest Fiber Networks, LLC is for a total of 20 years – 16 consecutive years and two (2) three-year terms. It was signed by Mayor Tom Barrett in September, 2006.

Previous sites already wired (before Midwest Fiber Network, LLC) for wireless are the downtown parks, Cathedral Square and Pere Marquette; and, Milwaukee Public Libraries.

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INCLUSIVENESS
Upon hearing about the potential opportunity, Mary Glass, Chair/CEO - Campaign Neighborhood – CFNBA researched the initiative.

The findings sent up a number of red flags. The findings were further complicated by my discussions with the City of Milwaukee, Department of Administration and Midwest Fiber Network, LLC - Their comments and work to date, did not speak to “inclusiveness” of Milwaukeeans that were People of Color and the Working Poor.

From the beginning, there were troubling practices seen. They included:

• NO Request for Proposal (no other proposals submitted as prime)
• NO representation of citizens from People of Color and Working Poor neighborhoods

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Negotiating Team

• Alderman Ashanti Hamilton, 1st District
• Alderman Bob Bauman, 4th District
• Sharon Robinson, Director of Administration
• Franklin Cumberbatch, Office of the Mayor
• Patrick McDonnell, Deputy City Attorney
• Kevin Sullivan, Assistant City Attorney
• Mark Nicolini, Budge Director, City of Milwaukee
• Cheryl Oliva , Business Operations Director, City of Milwaukee
• Jeff Mantes, Commissioner of Public Works, City of Milwaukee
• Scott McDonell, State DOA and Dane County Commissioner
• Joe Klein, Milwaukee Citizen and Internet Expert
• Dr. Christine Falz, Milwaukee Cyber School
• Kathy Lang, Chief Information Officer, Marquette University
• James Davis, Chief Information Officer, Milwaukee Public Schools
• Randy Gschwind, Chief Information Officer, City of Milwaukee

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CN-CFNBA OBSERVATION/EVALUATION

• Test area in the Marquette University area (Marquette should be one of the enablers for sure but they were WIFI connected back in 2004)
• Agreement did not provide serious dollars from Midwest Fiber Network, LLC or their well-known partners of the deal - CISCO and TCF Bank.
• Agreement did not specify that the revenue generated from this deal would provide digital literacy, digital customer care, digital monitoring, digital competitiveness.
• Agreement vague in so-called benefits.
• Agreement came in with WiFi but did not spell out how WIMAX would not be a concern by the time they “installed the system - 3rd generation cabling when 4th generation is/will be out by complete installation date.
• Midwest Fiber Network, LLC failed to present themselves to Campaign Neighborhood - CFNBA with concrete support of the pre- and post employment, plus training aspects of the Agreement.
• Midwest Fiber Network, LLc and the Department of Administration failed to addressing issues to ensure that People of Color and the Working Poor were included and provided for.
• The City of Milwaukee - Department of Administration seem to be acting on behalf of Midwest Fiber Network, LLC rather than the taxpayers who pay their salary.
• Randy Gschwind, Chief Information Officer, City of Milwaukee appears to be the Public Relations Director for Midwest Fiber.

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CN-CFNBA Pledge

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MIDWEST FIBER NETWORK LLC

Milwaukee Fiber Network is a female-owned company located in Milwaukee and has some work experience with the City of Milwaukee.

Midwest Fiber Networks designs, develops and implements high performance, state of the art fiber networks and wireless broadband access solutions. These networks offer your organization the ability to own or lease virtually unlimited bandwidth at a fixed cost.
Midwest Fiber and its affiliate, CableCom LLC, employ approximately 70 people who provide cost-effective, alternative technology highways for private businesses and public users. The companies have designed, built and maintained networks for Fortune 500 businesses in the Milwaukee area, including:

• A 48-mile fiber optic ring network in a combination of aerial and underground plant, built in less than nine months—a quick turnaround despite numerous hurdles of working through private property, government identified wetlands, state Department of Natural Resources restricted areas and with several railroad companies.

• A fully redundant, entirely underground network connecting a company’s two facilities in two different municipalities, with maximum separation between the two paths for risk management. The project was also completed in nine months, and when the building was turned over to the client, the fiber optic connectivity tested well above industry standards.
Midwest Fiber’s three principal owners bring more than 30 years of combined experience in network communications.

• Donna Raffaelli has nearly 10 years of experience specifically in the network communications and construction industry, as well as ten years of senior-level operations management in the financial services industry. Raffaelli’s role with Midwest Fiber includes strategic planning and oversight on large-scale projects to ensure cost-effective and successful outcomes.

• Kelly McCook uses her 12-plus years of experience in business management to select, mentor and manage team members as well as oversee all of Midwest Fiber’s back-office processes to ensure project integrity.

• Nik lvancevic provides design engineering leadership on projects while serving as the primary point of communication between customers and Midwest Fiber’s project teams. Ivancevic has 15 years of professional experience in the network communications industry.

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 - Mayor Tom Barrett 
 - Alderman Willie Hines - Common Council President
 - Alderman Robert Bauman
 - Alderman John Bohl
 - Alderman Robert Donovan
 - Alderman Michael D’Amato
 - Alderman Joe Davis
 - Alderman Joe Dudzik
 - Alderman Ashanti Hamilton
 - Alderman Michael McGee
 - Alderman Michael Murphy
 - Alderman Robert Puente
 - Alderman Willie Wade
 - Alderman James Witkowiak
 - Alderman Witkowski
 - Alderman Tony Zielinski

Area

 - City  97 sq mi (251.0 km²) 
 - Land  96 sq mi (248.8 km²) 
 - Water  1 sq mi (2.2 km²) 

Population (2005)

 - City 578,887 
 - Density  6,214.7/sq mi (2,399.5/km²) 
 - Metro 1,753,355 

Time zone CST (UTC-6)

 - Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5) 

Website: www.city.milwaukee.gov

Milwaukee’s name

Milwaukee received its name from the Native American word Millioke which means “The Good Land”, or “Gathering place by the water.” Another interpretation is “beautiful or pleasant lands”.

Early explorers called the Milwaukee River and surrounding lands various names: Melleorki, Milwacky, Mahn-a-waukie, Milwarck, and Milwaucki. For many years, printed records gave the name as “Milwaukie”. A Short History of Milwaukee, by William George Bruce, gives the story of Milwaukee’s final name:

“[O]ne day during the thirties of the last century [1800s] a newspaper calmly changed the name to Milwaukee, and Milwaukee it has remained until this day.”

Milwaukee is the largest city within the state of Wisconsin and 22nd-largest in the United States.

The city is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan.

As of the 2005 U.S. Census estimate, Milwaukee had a population of 578,887. The city is the main cultural and economic center of the Milwaukee–Racine-Waukesha metropolitan area with a population of 1,753,355.

Population

As of the census estimate of 2005, there are 578,887 people residing in Milwaukee. As of 2000, there were 232,188 households, and 135,133 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,399.5/km² (6,214.3 per square mile). There are 249,225 housing units at an average density of 1,001.7/km² (2,594.4 per square mile).

There are 232,188 households out of which 30.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.2% are married couples living together, 21.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% are non-families. 33.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 3.25.

According to the 2000 Census, there were at least 1,408 same-sex households in Milwaukee which accounts for 0.6% of all households in the city. Although this number is lower than other cities in the region such as Chicago and Minneapolis, Milwaukee continues to be noted for its generally accepting attitudes towards the LGBT community. In 2001, it was named the #1 city for lesbians by Girlfriends magazine.

In the city the population is spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $32,216, and the median income for a family is $37,879. Males have a median income of $32,244 versus $26,013 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,181. 21.3% of the population and 17.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.6% of those under the age of 18 and 11.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Poverty Stats

African American - 41%
Latino - 38%
Children - 41%
Caucasian - 12%

Milwaukee still faces a shrinking population,and other problems, such as crime, racial tension (especially between inner-city Blacks and white suburbanites), poverty, and a precarious school system, presenting a serious challenge to the city. Although the crime rate is down since the early 1990s, the issues of urban crime and police corruption are still at the forefront, frequently appearing on the front page of local newspapers.

Accusations of police brutality are common and have gained national attention as of late with federal charges being brought down on the Milwaukee police officers accused of beating Frank Jude Jr. Many considered the hiring of the first black Chief of Police, Arthur Jones, to be a turning point for Milwaukee, noting that crime in 2004 was at its lowest in nearly 15 years. However, critics accused Jones of ineffectiveness, eventually leading to his resignation.

Race and ethnicity

According to the 2000 census, 39.5% of Milwaukeeans reported having African-American ancestry displacing Germans (38%) as the largest ethnic group in Milwaukee.

Other significant population groups include Polish (12.7%), Irish (10%), English (5.1%), Italian (4.4%), French (3.9%), and Hispanic origin totaled 6.3%. According to the 2004 Census Estimate, the racial makeup of the city is 46.7% White, 39.5% African American, 0.8% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 7.3% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. 13.3% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

The city is frequently cited as being hypersegregated, and was long known as the most segregated metro area in the U.S. However, due to continued dialogue between Milwaukee’s citizens, the city is making an effort to reduce racial tensions and reduce the rate of segregation.

Technology

Milwaukee boasts that it will soon become one of the first fully wireless large cities in the United States thanks to its Milwaukee Wireless Initiative.

A private firm, Midwest Fiber Networks, has contracted to invest $20 million in setting up wireless infrastructure all over the city. If all goes as planned, the city should be completely wireless by March 2008.[22] Under the plan, the city will designate dozens of free websites, and city residents will be able to access unlimited content for a monthly fee.

The city had previously established free wireless networks in two downtown city parks: Cathedral Square and Pere Marquette Park.

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