Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Ketchum WiFi to launch at Kick Ash Bash

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By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

Ketchum will launch the free municipal Ketchum Community Wi-Fi project, which will be available throughout the downtown commercial core, at the Kick Ash Bash on Friday, Sept. 28. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at a Ketchum Community Wi-Fi booth to help educate the public on the benefits of the free Wi-Fi network, coverage areas, as well as business sponsorship opportunities and information.

Wi-Fi is short for "wireless fidelity." Wireless networks are very similar to how two-way radio communication works, using radio frequency waves the way radios, TVs and cell phones do. In this case, anyone with a Wi-Fi equipped device such as a laptop, BlackBerry or cell phone can now receive a signal anywhere downtown in order to connect to the World Wide Web.

Project leader Heidi Dohse of Hailey helped push the concept through and credits the "progressive vision" of the city management, the mayor, City Council members and chamber for bringing it to fruition.

"It's very exciting to see that Ketchum can support our residents and visitors with the same technology amenities larger cities offer in communication solutions," Dohse said. "However, this idea almost did not get off the ground. We needed seed money and fortunately Allen & Co. agreed with the vision and gave a generous donation to get this launched."

Dohse said those benefits are "cost-effective broadband communication solutions for our visitors and residents ... and economic development opportunities."

"More importantly," she said, "(there will be) a sense of pride for Ketchum citizens (as) leaders in municipal Wi-Fi solutions."

Allen and Co., a New York City-based investment firm, gave a sizable donation to the city earlier this year to help fund the public project.

The Kick Ash Bash is a community event planned to honor and raise money for firefighters who helped extinguish the Castle Rock Fire, which burned more than 45,000 acres near Ketchum in late August and early September.