TRIBUNE BUSINESS WEEKLY ARTICLE By GENE STOWE Tribune Correspondent

Approaching its 10th anniversary, Michiana FreeNet (MFN) is beginning to provide wireless technology as it seeks to continue supporting nonprofit 501(c)3 groups with Internet service. "The FreeNet revolution started in Cleveland in the late ‘80s as a concept to bring together communities using the Internet as the medium to accomplish that," says Dr. Larry Rapagnani, present of the Michiana FreeNet board and chief technology officer at GramTel. "The need was to provide affordable dial-in service to the internet and use the proceeds, if any, to support 501(c)3s with e-mail and Web services for free. The web really changed things, and South Bend then got interested in the mid 90’s to do something positive for the community." MFN made money at first by selling dialup service and grew to more than 1,200 clients, but changes in the industry have reduced the number to about 800.

Larry Rapagnani President of Michiana Free-Net

"This has evolved over the years as dial-in has become a commodity service and people are moving to broadband service," Rapagnani explains. "The numbers are getting smaller as people move to broadband services."

The MFN board decided against competing with large broadband providers and instead turned to wireless service.

"To continue to support the 501(c)3s , we needed to maintain some revenue flow or we would go out of existence," Rapagnani says. "MFN partnered with the City and St Joe Public Library to install wireless (802.11 technology) for the downtown area — outside. They are many inside wireless networks downtown, but only one outside."

Participation in the program helps both the customer and those who need access to the Internet, he says.

"People have choices in their Internet service provider — a lot of choices," he says. "Why MFN? MFN uses the revenues past expenses to support Michiana nonprofits. Other providers may support non-profits, but rarely are they located in Michiana. We are a local organization supporting those less fortunate than us. It is the socially responsible thing to do."

The system is based at the library, whose director, Don Napoli, is on the board with Rapagnani and Joyce Hug. A smaller MFN operation in Elkhart does not yet offer wireless technology.

"We have just completed our pilot projects and without any advertising we are connecting people via the wireless network," Rapagnani says. "In fact, some businesses downtown are bringing our wireless network inside their establishment and rebroadcasting it, either as their own or MFN.

"We do support many transit users as well as visitors to South Bend. Our outdoor wireless signal can make it inside some buildings downtown as well as those inside leaking out in the open."

MFN’s wireless transmitters are on downtown traffic signal overhangs, so the service area can grow. Now, wireless enabled computers can connect at high speeds from Monroe Street to Bartlett Street and Lafayette Street to St. Joseph Street.

"As you can guess, we can expand where ever there are traffic lights or towers approximately the same height with power," Rapagnani says. "The city has some neat applications based on 802.11 technology coming up like meter reading and flow control that are exciting. We are also excited about expansion of our services."

MFN will continue to evolve with the industry, he says.

"What I see is more ‘broadband’ services, something like wireless, DSL, cable, Internet over power lines, fiber to the house, etc, being delivered within the next 10 years," leading to more round-the-clock business he says, adding that the questions of competition with entrenched home-delivery suppliers and licensing of wireless spectrums are still open.

"There are advances in all these technologies which will enable more services — voice, video, data — to be delivered to the home. It is all about entertainment, you know — movies on demand, TV on demand, etc, to meet your schedule, not the other way around. In 10 years, ‘high end’ speeds we see today will look like dial-up does to us today.

"That is why MFN needs to change if we are to survive. MFN will still be the conduit to deliver the goods between consumer and provider — probably in the wireless arena. Working in concert with the library and other nonprofits, we may be viewed as a content provider as well — but that needs to be determined."

www.michiana.org

-30-