Space Needle To Become WiMax Antenna

Technofusion writes "Seattle, Washington has found a new use for their aging Space Needle. Three companies have teamed up to turn the Space Needle into a giant WiMAX antenna. Bruce Chatterley, CEO of Speakeasy, announced it will be the biggest deployment of it's kind in North America with six towers, one placed on the Space Needle and five others around the city , beaming a signal over a 5 square mile area. Don't put away those 802.11b/g cards just yet, as WiMAX is projected to cost $500 a month for 1.5Mb service."

$500 dollars a month

[birdwax2k]

Isnt that a little steep? I think that will make me put away my 802.11 cards so i dont accidentally connect to that signal.

$500 a month?

[robyannetta]

That's a rather large fee just to read Slashdot while stuck in traffic.

Oh, it's Slashdot. It's worth it.

I say

[Sprotch]

They should turn it into one huge Tesla weapon, Red Alert style. That should thwart off terrorists!

You won't need to pay $500

[Anonymous Coward]

I happen to know the SSID will be "needle" and the WEP key is "12345." Have at it.

Re:$500 / month?

[DJCacophony]

But if you put fins and racing stripes on the space needle, the internet will go twice as fast

Can't they use for more productive things?

[gowen]

A launching platform from which fans can throw rotting vegetables at the 2005 Seattle Mariners, for example.

Re:You won't need to pay $500

[Anonymous Coward]

Yea, but I heard they're gonna disable SSID broadcasts....that'll stop unauthorized connections, right? uhh, hello?

Re:It costs how much?

[0x461FAB0BD7D2]

Tea-drinkers

Re:Giant Cell Phone Tower?

[Avyakata]

Maybe they'll try to disguise it like a giant tree...

This is a plot from a movie

[StCredZero]

Namely, Tenchi Muyo in Love [imdb.com]. At the end of the movie, the Tenchi gang have to set up 5 transmitters around the city and one on Tokyo Tower in order to defeat the super criminal Kain. Maybe Seattlites should be on the lookout for green spiky haired women who can fly and materialize energy swords.

Re:$500 / month?

[bryanthompson]

Especially if you paint it yellow.

Re:$500 dollars a month

[Anonymous Coward]

if you accidnetly connect an 802.11 card to a WiMax node, I will be way impressed.

seventeen bucks to go up to the top of that thing

[Anonymous Coward]

at least now they can use some of the cash they scammed out of the tourists to provide a useful service

Looks interesting

[part_of_you]

802.11b/g cards = $50.00

1.5Mb service = $800.00/Month

subscription to pornography site = $35.00/Month

Viewing high-speed porn using a recycled NASA instrument called a "Space Needle" = Priceless

Damn...

[PenguinBoyDave]

I can buy a lot of wire for $500.00 per month!

Caffeinated Mobile Botnet?

[Anonymous Coward]

OMG!!! It's the Caffeinated Mobile Botnet! Run for your lives!