Wi-Fi on Dade City agenda

The Oseola Tavern might be the oldest building in Dade City, but it was the first to offer free wireless internet service when owner Mike Agnello installed his first Wi-Fi router 10 years ago.

As Wi-Fi hotspots started popping up across the nation, downtown Dade City's choices were limited to the Hugh Embry Library and a handful of local businesses.

The city's Redevelopment Advisory Committee and Dade City Main Street are working together to bring free public Wi-Fi to the entire downtown district. Committee members are scheduled to meet with Jim Wilson, chief operating officer of VODA LLC.

VODA is a spin-off from the University of South Florida, College of Marine Science that has repurposed its marine-based Wi-Fi technology for commercial use. The start-up company offered to create a 15-block network in St. Petersburg's Grand Central district for just $5,000.

"We see the value of having wide area Wi-Fi in more than just coffee shops, but in public places where people can stay connected while on the move," Wilson wrote, "or where they are forced to stay for short or long periods of time like in a doctor's office. We also see a lot of value for small businesses located in compact districts like Dade City's Main Street."

Though some members questioned whether there was a demand for public Wi-Fi, the committee agreed to add the project to its list of goals for 2009.

"I think there's a need for it," Main Street director Crystal Davenport said. "I was at the Coffee Mug this morning and there were six people there who were working on their laptops."

And though a bar might not seem like the ideal place to telecommute, Agnello said it's not uncommon for customers to bring their laptops to the tavern.

"The people who come in, sometimes they ordered bottled water or soda," he said. "Sometimes they're just surfing, and others are doing research. I get a lot of adult students who take night classes at Pasco-Hernando Community College."

Commissioner Camille Hernandez confessed that she's lost without her laptop. She was thrilled with the prospect of creating hotspots in the city's parks. "I think it's a great idea," she said. "I think it will encourage more of the local college students to come downtown. I'm happy we're moving forward with it."

Allison Todd, owner of the Coffee Mug, agrees that there's a demand for free public Wi-Fi. "It's why I get a lot of my regular customers. But I wonder how it would benefit the city. I mean, if someone wanted to offer Wi-Fi they would already have it."