Tempe is the first city in Arizona to offer free wireless Internet access to the public.
ASU and the city of Tempe collaborated to provide wireless access in outdoor areas around Mill Avenue and at Tempe Beach Park.
"We probably invested close to $60,000 into this," ASU Chief Information Officer and Vice Provost William Lewis said. ASU provided the hardware for the project and conducted the installation.
Tempe provided the access that allowed ASU to run fiber optic cables through existing pipelines under the city.
"Without the city granting us that access, I would have had to dig under the streets and install new pipes specifically for this," Lewis said.
Jenn Johnson, a chemistry and geology senior, said she was happy wireless access would be available on Mill Avenue, but it would be more useful to her if ASU expanded its on-campus coverage.
"I can't believe they don't have [wireless] in the Cancer Research Center," she said. "It stuns me because it's such an active research environment."
The department of Information Technology received more requests from students for wireless access at the Brickyard than any location on campus, Lewis said.
"We hope to have the entire campus wireless within the next 12 months," he added.
The city chose to include Tempe Beach Park in the wireless access area because of its draw as a recreational area, said Dave Heck, deputy manager of Information Technology in Tempe.
"There was no demand per se," Heck added. "We thought, 'build it and they will come.' Well, we hope anyway."
Users will need a standard 802.11B wireless card, Heck said.
Anyone with an ASURite name may log directly into the ASU network. Users without an ASURite may log on as a visitor, Lewis said.
Wireless access is available only in outdoor areas because the signals do not penetrate walls effectively.
"Brick is pretty bad, steel is worse and concrete is somewhere in between brick and steel," Lewis said.
The city of Tempe reported in a statement that wireless access would benefit customers at outdoor venues and restaurants downtown.
Bison Witches Bar and Deli, located in the Brickyard, has outdoor seating, but does not anticipate free wireless will be of much benefit to their business.
"It'd be nice for some people, but we're not really an Internet place," General Manager Pat Chipman said.
Previously, wireless technology on Mill Avenue had been isolated to private businesses. Mangers and owners at Starbucks, Mill's End, Border's Books and Music and Coffee Plantation said they did not expect any change in their business due to the availability of free outdoor wireless Internet.
Cory Starr, co-owner of Mill's End Cafe, said he was enthusiastic about the development.
"If ASU and Tempe provide free wireless, well, that's going to benefit everybody," he said.
The city of Tempe hopes to bring wireless access to the rest of Tempe with a citywide, paid network. The city will accept proposals from a service provider beginning this month.
Reach the reporter at emilia.arnold@asu.edu.
