[1st-mile-nm] Las Cruces, N.M., Invests in Kiosks to Measure Need for Downtown Wi-Fi

[Richard Lowenberg]

Las Cruces, N.M., Invests in Kiosks to Measure Need for Downtown Wi-Fi

The idea is to gather data to see if Wi-Fi would add to the amenities 
that city officials hope will draw crowds to the area.

BY JASON GIBBS, LAS CRUCES SUN-NEWS, N.M. / APRIL 26, 2017

www.govtech.com/internet/Las-Cruces-NM-Invests-in-Kiosks-to-Measure-Need-for-Wi-Fi.html

(TNS) — New kiosks will soon be popping up in downtown Las Cruces to 
help city staff determine whether free Wi-Fi on Main Street and the 
Plaza de Las Cruces would be used by visitors to the shops and events in 
the district.

Las Cruces city councilors met Monday in their role as board members of 
the Tax Increment Development District and were told of the plan that 
will see seven Soofa stations installed downtown. The units, which cost 
a total of $30,000, offer charging stations for wireless devices and 
monitor how many people pass the unit who would be able to take 
advantage of wireless connectivity. The stations, which can be upgraded 
to offer Wi-Fi for an additional cost if the city chooses, were paid for 
through the city’s office of sustainability.

The idea is to begin gathering data to see if Wi-Fi would add to the 
amenities that city officials hope will draw crowds to the area, not 
only for special events and the Farmers and Crafts Market, but also 
people who might want to access Wi-Fi during the workday, said Andy 
Hume, downtown planning and development coordinator. Last year, city 
staff began studying the current availability of Wi-Fi and exploring 
what would be required to add free Wi-Fi up and down Main Street, as 
well as the area around the plaza.

Initially, a study determined the cost for deploying the system 
throughout downtown would be around $384,000, or $263,000 for the plaza 
alone. The system would have cost $50,000 per year to operate and 
maintain. Then the Soofa system came across the city’s radar, offering a 
much lower cost option, Hume said.

“We felt the permanent infrastructure approach was cost prohibitive and 
had no data to support a return on investment,” Hume said. “During the 
time of the study, new technology came to light that is a much more 
modular approach, smaller in scope and will provide an incremental 
approach to provide service in the area.”

The Soofa units can be relocated to different areas of the plaza to meet 
demand and have a roughly 150-foot coverage area. The units have solar 
panels and batteries to operate and to recharge guests' mobile devices.

The units will be deployed in coming days and the results of the study 
presented to the public at a future City Council work session.

(snip)


©2017 the Las Cruces Sun-News (Las Cruces, N.M.) Distributed by Tribune 
Content Agency, LLC.


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Richard Lowenberg, Executive Director
1st-Mile Institute     505-603-5200
Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504,
rl at 1st-mile.org     www.1st-mile.org
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