TUESDAY
K A M L O O P S
THIS WEEK
ONLINE ALL THE TIME: BREAKING NEWS AND UPDATES AT KAMLOOPSTHISWEEK.COM Tuesday, February 25, 2013 X Volume 26 No. 22 www.kamloopsthisweek.com X 30 cents at Newsstands
PRICELESS EXCHANGE RATE: Exchange students from Quebec joined Westsyde secondary students in exploring the Secwepemc Museum and Heritage Park while historian Jackie Sevec detailed the history of the pit house, a dwelling commonly used by First Nations in the 19th century. The visiting exchange students from Quebec are taking part in various activities in the Kamloops area during their seven-day visit. Also on the agenda were visits to the Highland Valley Copper mine, the McQueen Lake Environmental Centre and the Big Little Science Centre, along with curling on McArthur Island rink, tubing at Harper Mountain and enjoying Western Canada Theatre’s production of The Silent Chap. Dave Eagles/KTW
City mulls Shaw plan to offer free wifi service By Andrea Klassen STAFF REPORTER
andrea@kamloopsthisweek.com
Shoppers on Victoria Street downtown and visitors to some Kamloops parks and city buildings could soon have access to free wifi without having to duck into the nearest coffee shop. City council will today (Feb. 25) consider a proposal from Shaw Communications that would see the company install 74 wifi modems in city buildings and on
selected light poles. Tony Klancar, the city’s IT manager, said 32 of the modems would be placed in public buildings, such as the Tournament Capital Centre and Interior Savings Centre. The remaining 42 modems would be placed in outdoor locations. “It’s mostly in places where people gather,” Klancar said, naming the city’s main downtown street as one site identifed for the
proposed wifi hotspots. Shaw and the city both have existing community wifi programs in Kamloops. Shaw has various hotspots downtown that can only be accessed by the company’s customers. The city has about 30 free wifi hotspots of its own in various buildings, but a report by Klancar to council notes the system is sometimes over capacity when major events — Kamloops Blazers
games or concerts at ISC, for instance — are taking place. “During large events, upwards of 1,000 simultaneous connections can be requested, which overloads the system,” Klancar said in the report. If too many people connect, the city’s other web-dependant services, including dispatch for Kamloops Fire Rescue, could become overwhelmed. Shaw’s plan would allow the city to offer broader coverage
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without that worry, Klancar said. Unlike the city’s own wireless hotspots, which cost $1,300 per modem, the Shaw deal has a much smaller price tag. The company is offering Kamloops one of two deals. The first, which staff are recommending, would see Shaw provide wireless Internet free of charge to all users in exchange for access to light poles and buildings. X See KELOWNA A4
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