Over 11,000 Monthly Users of Portland Wi-Fi Network

MetroFi has officially released user metrics for its citywide Wi-Fi network in Portland, Oregon, which it says had 11,200 users in May 2007. A 40% increase in the number of users since the month previous, May's utilization also represents an estimated 11.5% of the population within the current coverage area, as well as 56% of the 19,900 individuals who have registered for the network since its December 2006 inception.

"We are pleased to see this many people utilizing our Portland Wi-Fi network so early in the deployment," says MetroFi CEO and president, Chuck Haas. "As the size and density of the network continues to grow, we are confident its population and usage will increase as well, as more residents, businesses, visitors and city departments use the network to their advantage."

Through a partnership with the City of Portland, MetroFi designed, built and operates the outdoor Wi-Fi network free of charge. Via its high performance network, MetroFi delivers free wireless Internet access sponsored by local and regional advertisers, with locally-relevant MSN content and services provided through an alliance with Microsoft. Approximately 500,000 Portland residents and visitors will be able to benefit from MetroFi's Wi-Fi network once it is fully deployed.

The network's reach will continue to expand throughout 2007 and into 2008. In May, MetroFi turned on nearly 70 new outdoor access points. Portland neighborhoods that currently have areas of coverage include: Buckman, Cathedral Park, Center, Chinatown, downtown/Pioneer Courthouse Square, Homestead, Hosford-Abernathy, Kerns, Laurelhurst, Lloyd, Mt. Tabor, Multnomah, Old Town, Pearl, Richmond, St. Johns, and Sunnyside. Preliminary deployment (with minimal coverage) has also begun in: AshCreek, Bridlemile, Brooklyn, Creston-Kenilworth, Corbett/Terwilliger/Lair Hill, Goose Hollow, Hillsdale, Montavilla, Northwest, Reed, Southwest Hills, Sullivan's Gulch, University Park and Woodstock. Now 20% complete, the network's expansion has been rapidly underway since MetroFi received a Certificate of Acceptance from the City of Portland on April 11 after a two-square mile, four-month pilot downtown.

The Portland network's usage tripled in the first three months, culminating with 5,800 users spending over 50,000 hours online in March. In April, those numbers increased to nearly 8,000 individuals online for over 80,000 hours. May's users spent over 131,000 hours online, averaging 94 minutes per session.

"By issuing the Certificate of Acceptance, the City of Portland recognized that MetroFi's network is adding significant value to our community. The utilization numbers tell us that value is on the rise," says Logan Kleier, a City of Portland Bureau of Technology Services project manager for the UnWire Portland initiative. "We are hopeful the trend will continue, and are exploring ways to leverage the network for departmental cost savings, greater efficiency among our mobile workforce, and/or enhanced public safety."

KW