We knew Bremerton residents were the step-chilins of the Washington State Ferry System, but now that wireless access for the 55-minute run has been delayed again we're starting to suspect a conspiracy. Bainbridge has been happily browsing away on their 30-minute jog since like the mid-nineties or something, but can Bremerton catch any of that wifi gold? Hell no. At least not until July at the earliest. Of course, the Rich Passage is the official culprit according to Parsons which has the contract to provide wireless internet to Washington ferries.

From the Seattle Times:

The problem, said Bob Davis, vice president of Parsons, the California company that has the contract to wire the state ferries, is complications getting a signal through curvy Rich Passage, the strait between Bainbridge Island and the south Kitsap Peninsula.

The company needed permission from the Federal Communications Commission for a license, which it received, he said. But it still needs to install an antenna to pick up the signal, and the city of Bainbridge Island just turned down a Parsons proposal because it would have been too close to the waterfront.

Before the Bremerton ferry run can have wireless, Parsons must find a new location for the antenna, plus it has to install equipment on Columbia Tower, Seattle's tallest building, to bounce the Wi-Fi signals. "We've spend millions of dollars getting this system up and running," he said.
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Josh Machen, a senior planner with Bainbridge Island, said the city's shoreline master plan doesn't allow wireless antennas within 200 feet of the waterfront. He said Parsons had planned to install the antenna too close to the water, just across Eagle Harbor from the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal.

Wi-Fi Networking News says:

When I spoke to the firm that was running the trial in 2004, they made it clear that the curvy passage for the Bremerton-Seattle run—a 55-minute ride—involved several antennas and rights of way issues.

So it’s to my surprise that The Seattle Times this morning writes that Bremerton ferry riders are a little peeved that Wi-Fi is on several other major routes, but not theirs. Bremerton is on the Olympic Peninsula, where housing is still cheaper than in Seattle proper. It’s not unusual to have this kind of relatively relaxing commute (less so for drivers, who may have to wait for one or more ferries).

Service is now expected for July because Parsons ran afoul of a rule in one place in siting an antenna, and in another case hadn’t yet secured roof rights on the tallest building in Seattle. Seems like pretty poor planning. And why do I know something as a reporter that a multi-billion-dollar firm seemed unaware of? There’s a missing piece.

The article also cites Parsons’s need to get a license from the FCC, which doesn’t make sense. Were they purchasing a license? If they already had a licensed frequency they wanted to use for backhaul, the FCC isn’t involved.

Seattlest says if Rich Passage is so much of a problem can Bremerton passengers at least get access through Elliott Bay where the route mirrors that of Bainbridge? Half a run of Wi-Fi is better than no Wi-Fi at all.

Image courtesy of omam.