Wireless Nomad Shutting Down

Well, everyone: after a very long few months with little communication between members and a growing waiting list, there's some good news and some bad news.

First, the bad news. Wireless Nomad ISP Co-op is closing its (virtual) doors over the next few weeks. It's been fun and interesting and we've met so many great people, and it's hard to let it go. But for a lot of reasons it's time for the project to end, at least in its current incarnation. We really expect someone somewhere to build on the ideas and experiences of community WiFi groups over the last four years and find a model that really works and turn it into something as sustainable as it is special. Meanwhile, free WiFi is all over the place -even Starbucks!-, and 3G devices like the iPhone are making the wireless web a reality.

Second, the good news. We've made arrangements so that all Wireless Nomad members have the choice to transition to a private DSL internet service provider called TekSavvy- in fact, the best private ISP in the country and the company Wireless Nomad has been leasing service from. TekSavvy has good internet service, great tech support, and has been a leader in the fight for net neutrality in Canada. And while it is a private company, they've really gone out of their way to help the Wireless Nomad project in Toronto the and National Capital Freenet in Ottawa serve our communities in new ways. Which goes to show that a well-run private for-profit company can be a good neighbour, both in the real world and in cyberspace.

Wireless Nomad was started with great expectations, and many of them were fulfilled. Along with dozens of other community WiFi groups, we did our bit to help put an end to the ridiculously over-priced WiFi model common in 2003 by providing a useful alternative; we shared our internet connections with thousands of our neighbours for more than four years; and we added our voice to the fight for net neutrality and sensible telecom regulation.

Of course, we all hoped to make Wireless Nomad more than it eventually became, but big dreams are hard to make real. We could talk about all the challenges we faced and all those we overcame, but that can wait- we'll keep the blog going and do a post-mortem over the next few months, when Steve's not in China and I'm not in the Philippines.

For now, let's keep everyone on-line and switched over to TekSavvy unless they opt out, and clean up the remnants of Wireless Nomad with a final meeting in a month or so.

Meanwhile, TekSavvy will be getting in touch to update their billing and subscriber info to complete the account migration and keep things running. They are really great people, and are really helpful. If you need to reach them, the TekSavvy website is http://www.teksavvy.com/, and their toll-free contract number is 1-877-779-1575.

So folks: so long, and thanks for all the internets. It's been a real pleasure.

-The Wireless Nomad Team