Press Release

Oakland County Selects Wireless Oakland Demonstration Project Provider

Pontiac, MI, August 22, 2005 -- The Wireless Oakland Project Team today selected MichTel Communications, LLC, to provide free wireless Internet service during the Arts, Beats and Eats Festival in downtown Pontiac over Labor Day Weekend. MichTel Communications is a Pontiac-based company that was selected after a detailed evaluation of 13 responding private-sector bidders.

"We appreciate MichTel Communication's commitment to Wireless Oakland and look forward to them being a strategic partner in the initiative," County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. "The Demonstration Project will allow the County and MichTel Communications to showcase the possibilities of the Wireless Oakland initiative."

The County's private-sector partners will own, operate and maintain the project. Free Internet service will be offered at the lower bandwidth but the private sector partners will charge fees for higher-end service. Patterson says Wireless Oakland will also bridge the digital divide by providing training and computers at low cost or no cost to people who have been unable to afford access to the Internet because of income or education limitations.

"This marks a giant step forward in our effort to blanket Oakland County's entire 910 square miles with wireless Internet service, a portion of which will be offered free of charge," Patterson said. "Wireless Oakland will help us attract the kind of Emerging Sector companies and skilled talent Oakland County needs to remain competitive in the corridors of commerce around the world."

In conjunction with the Demonstration Project, the Wireless Oakland Project Team will have an Internet Café set up during the Arts, Beats and Eats Festival located on the northeast corner of Pike and Saginaw Streets. Attendees will be able to surf the Internet, gather further information about the wireless initiative, and register for daily prizes.

For further information please contact Bob Dustman, Media and Communications Officer at 248-858-1048.