Designed for the use of business and government, it will be the nation's first "border-to-border" network.

08:38 AM EST on Friday, November 18, 2005

BY TIMOTHY C. BARMANN
Journal Staff Writer

Computer giant IBM will take over as project manager of a collaborative effort to establish a statewide, high-speed wireless network for businesses and government throughout Rhode Island.

The project, which is known as Rhode Island Wireless Innovation Networks, or RI-WINs, aims to build a private computer network that covers Rhode Island's 2,000 square miles.

Plans for the project were announced last year by the Business Innovation Factory, a Providence-based nonprofit company established to encourage partnerships between the public and private sectors to promote innovative ideas.

The purpose of the network will be twofold, according to Saul Kaplan, deputy director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation and "chief catalyst" for the Innovation Factory.

First, it will benefit Rhode Island companies or government agencies that have a need to communicate with field representatives on the go. For example,sCVSsCorp. plans to use the network to allow technicians with laptops to access corporate computers from various locations around the state. Another planned application is a port security project that will link police, fire and other services on the water when they're responding to an emergency.

And secondly, RI-WINs' uniqueness as the first "border-to-border" network in the country will make it attractive as a test bed for companies both in and out of Rhode Island that need such an environment to try out new technological ideas, Kaplan said.

"We're the place you come to explore and test innovative new business models," he said.

IBM will manage the pilot phase of the project. That will be a scaled-down version of the network that will serve as a "proof of concept" -- to show that it really can be done, Kaplan said.

IBM's role will be similar to that of a general contractor, said Jan Walbridge, spokeswoman for IBM Global Service's wireless division.

"We're responsible for an overall plan, design and implementation," she said. "We bring in the necessary partners and technology providers to fill in the puzzle."

The partners include Atrion Networking, Brown University, Cox Communications and Cox Business Services, CVS Corp., the Ocean State Higher Education Economic Development and Administrative Network, the Rhode Island Department of Administration, the Rhode Island Port Security Communications Network, Stratum Broadband,sVerizonsCommunications and Verizon Wireless.

IBM is working on similar networks in other parts of the country, including one in Cincinnati and another in Cleveland, Walbridge said.

But this project is unique because of its statewide coverage area, she added.

Construction will begin in January and companies will begin using the system during the first quarter of next year, Kaplan said. At the same time, design and construction of the statewide network will take place.

The budget for the pilot phase is $750,000, Kaplan said. Of that, $100,000 will come from the state, about $300,000 from various federal grants and about $350,000 from private-sector investments, he said.

The statewide network is expected to cost about $20 million, and financing will come from the same sources, he added.

A business that wants to access the network will have to pay a membership fee based on the company's usage, Kaplan said. The fee has not been determined.

Members will be able to use the network as an extension of their own corporate network. It will also be connected to the Internet, he said.

While some companies, such as Verizon Wireless, do offer high-speed wireless Internet access, Kaplan said the RI-WINs network will be available statewide, while the Verizon service is not.

Timothy C. Barmann covers energy issues, utilities and technology. He can be reached at tbarmann@projo.com