Jaclyn Brenning

Daily Egyptian

Carbondale could soon cut ties with wired Internet access.

Though nothing is official, city officials are looking at options for the upcoming fiscal year's budget. Officials are researching details such as where wireless could best be used, the company to use, how the operation would be funded and the community's interest.

As cities around the state are going wireless or are checking into the possibility, Carbondale may be feeling the pressure of Internet expectations from residents and students.

"Already the question is: 'Why don't you have (wireless)?'" said City Manager Jeff Doherty

There's no reason the city hasn't gone wireless before, he said. The city has been looking into options for wireless Internet hot spots for several years, but the officials vested in the venture have retired or left. It's now up to the current administration, and Doherty said it's hard to keep up with the technology.

"It's a learning curve for most of us," he said.

Scrolling through his Blackberry, Doherty said he's amazed what wireless technology has done for him. What it could do for the Carbondale community could be even more beneficial.

City Councilman Joel Fritzler said wireless Internet access could have many benefits, most important of which is drawing SIUC students into the community.

Junhyun Park, a senior studying chemistry from Korea, said he uses the wireless Internet access at the SIU Student Center to read material for class and do homework on his laptop.

Though he rarely heads downtown, he would more often if wireless Internet were available.

"Wireless is very convenient," he said. "I think it would increase my reasons to go downtown."

When Mariella Martinez isn't doing homework on her laptop, she's listening to music on it.

She said wireless Internet access around the city could be nice, but the city would have to promote it because students wouldn't know about it.

Doherty said the city is considering hot spots at places like the Carbondale Town Square rather than a completely wireless city like Rockford, partly because of funding. He said the city hasn't even estimated funding costs yet. Also, some businesses don't want wireless Internet access.

Elaine Ramseyer, general manager of Longbranch Coffee House, said she doesn't want wireless Internet available at the coffee house located near the Town Square.

"It's a coffeehouse, and I want people to be able to eat here and socialize and study," she said. "I don't want people to sit here glued to the computer screen for 10 hours."

However, she said she thinks wireless Internet access could help build up business on the Strip and bring more students out into the community, encouraging growth.

Carbondale isn't the only city in southern Illinois thinking about wireless Internet access.

Rex Duncan, a research project specialist at SIUC, is working on wireless and broadband Internet access throughout the rest of southern Illinois, including areas like Du Quoin and Chester. He's part of a group called Connect SI.

It's still in the early stages, but Duncan said the group has secured nearly $100,000 in grants to install wireless or broadband Internet.

"We're not studying," Duncan said. "We're doing. We're past the studying."

Access to high-speed Internet could place southern Illinois on the map, Duncan said. People would take southern Illinois more seriously because, in a world increasingly connected through fiber optic cables, it could be in better touch with the rest of the world.

"It could be a way to learn, a way to earn," he said.

While some businesses such as Panera Bread are already wireless hot spots, the University Mall is considering the option.

Tony DiFlavis, the vice president of retail leasing at Stoltz Management that leases University Mall, said options are being investigated and if all goes well, the mall could have wireless Internet access soon.

"We are looking to make University Mall the place everybody wants to come," DiFlavis said.