Grand Haven goes WiFi

The lakefront town of Grand Haven, Mich. -- population: 11,000 -- flipped the switch on one of the nation's first citywide WiFi networks.

Grand Haven favorite son Ottawa Wireless Inc. built the network, which includes several hundred 801.11a/b/g access points strung from various parts of the city's infrastructure. The company chose Proxim Orinoco AP-4000 APs and Proxim Tsunami MP.11a wireless backhauls.

Hospitals and public agencies are beginning to connect to the network, town officials said. Ottawa Wireless is offering the town secure communications via virtual private network, and citizens unlimited access at 256kbps for $19.99 per month.