Students and members of the Ames community may soon be able to access free wireless Internet at various locations around Ames.

More than 20 people gathered Saturday afternoon to discuss providing wireless Internet access throughout the Ames community.

Mark Kassis, co-owner of Lucullan’s restaurant, facilitated the first meeting of the Story County Community Wireless Project, with the goal of creating a government-owned open wireless network throughout Ames and, ultimately, all of Story County. The organization was formerly called the Story County Free Wireless Project.

“There’s lots of things a community can do to provide access to the Internet and provide a free flow of information,” Kassis said. “It is my intention to make it a free wireless service and make it part of our community of Ames.”

Local development groups and city governments in Marshalltown, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City have already installed open wireless Internet networks in several public areas.

“I thought, wow, communities in Iowa are starting to do this,” Kassis said.

Kassis said the wireless network would use “mesh technology,” which utilizes several wireless access points to spread Internet connections throughout a widespread area at a relatively low cost.

“The advantage of the mesh network and the advantage of doing it is [low-cost] commodity hardware,” said Thomas Kula, system support specialist for Academic Information Technologies.

Kula said the project should not emphasize “free Internet.” It is a service the community as a whole contributes toward, much like other public services.

“It is only as good as what you put into it,” he said.

Based upon the average cost of other free wireless networks in other cities, Kassis said all of Story County could receive wireless Internet for one dollar per household, monthly.

Although no project plan has been formally proposed to the Ames City Council, Kassis said the city government would play a pivotal role in the network’s success.

“We’ve got utility poles and everything is there. If nothing else, I hope the city will allow us to use this infrastructure if they don’t want to help us with the funding,” he said. “I see it as a project of the Ames community that is owned by the City of Ames.”

Ames City Councilman Russ Cross said potential sources of municipal funding for the wireless project include the Downtown Improvement Program and the Neighborhood Improvement Program.

Although no formal requests for funding have been made, Kassis said he believes local and national funding is readily available. He said money from the Department of Homeland Security have helped fund wireless projects in other communities.

“I think the money is there, we just have to get the network together and figure out the budget,” Kassis said.

“A wired county can be really good for first responders to any tragedy in our community. We should consider that for the Ames community’s security.”

Cross said students would still benefit from the implementation of this project, despite the free wireless Internet access available on campus and in newer apartment complexes.

“It would benefit students who use wireless access away from their point of residence,” he said. “This would really help off-campus students in older housing arrangements.”

The next meeting for the Story County Community Wireless Project is tentatively scheduled for Oct. 15 at the Ames Public Library.

Information and updates on the project are located at the project’s Web log.