Editing Personal Telco

{{short description|Oregon wireless community network}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2023}}
{{Infobox organization
 |name= Personal Telco Project
 |image= Personal Telco Project logo.png
 |image_size= 180px
 |formation= 2000
 |location= [[Portland, Oregon]]
 |purpose= [[Wireless community network]] 
}}

The '''Personal Telco Project''' (or PTP) is a [[wireless community network]] project in [[Portland, Oregon]]. It was founded by [[Adam Shand (manager)|Adam Shand]] in November 2000<ref>{{Cite news |last=Andrew Blum |date=August–September 2001 |title=Alternative Net: Wireless activists bring the battle over public space to the airwaves |work=Metropolis Magazine |url=http://www.metropolismag.com/html/content_0801/ob/ob05.html |url-status=dead |access-date=August 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010821074014/http://www.metropolismag.com/html/content_0801/ob/ob05.html |archive-date=August 21, 2001}}</ref> after he read a [[Slashdot]] article about the [[Consume The Net]] project in [[London]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gittens |first=Lewis |date=2020-08-14 |title=Personal Telco Project: A Case Study in Community Connectivity |url=https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2020/08/personal-telco-project-case-study-community-connectivity |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=Electronic Frontier Foundation |language=en}}</ref>

PTP has wireless [[Hotspot (Wi-Fi)|hotspot]]s offering free [[Internet access]] at locations around Portland including [[Pioneer Courthouse Square]], three public parks, and several restaurants and coffee shops using [[Wi-Fi]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Personal Telco Node Map |url=http://map.personaltelco.net/}}</ref><ref>Ballard, Nigel, [http://www.blueoregon.com/2005/04/wifi_for_everyo.html Wi-Fi for Everyone!], BlueOregon, April 7, 2005</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vince Vittore |date=January 1, 2003 |title=Adam Shand, Founder, PersonalTelcoProject |work=Wireless Review |url=http://wirelessreview.com/ar/wireless_adam_shandfounder_personaltelcoproject/index.htm |url-status=dead |access-date=August 17, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030208022647/http://wirelessreview.com/ar/wireless_adam_shandfounder_personaltelcoproject/index.htm |archive-date=February 8, 2003}}</ref>
In 2005 PTP was involved in a grant-funded project to bring free wireless Internet to an entire neighborhood in North Portland, along N. Mississippi Avenue.<ref>[[Willamette Week]], [http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=6177 Mississippi Wi-Fi'ing] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060707184452/http://www.wweek.com/story.php?story=6177 |date=2006-07-07 }}, April 6, 2005</ref>

PTP is a [[non-profit organization]] in the state of [[Oregon]], and received its 501(c)(3) status (a federal tax exemption granted to charitable organizations) in early 2003.

PTP made US news in August 2002 when their hotspot at Pioneer Courthouse Square was blocked by a for-fee hotspot at a nearby [[Starbucks]] coffee shop. The problem was resolved amicably when the for-fee hotspot moved their connection to another channel.<ref>[[Slashdot]], [http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/08/20/0431202&mode=nested&tid=98 Starbucks Clashes With WiFi Hobbyists Over Airwaves], August 20, 2002</ref>

On March 4, 2003, a study was published stating Portland had more wireless hotspots per capita than any other U.S. city. This was due in part to PTP's advocacy.<ref name="free">{{Cite news |last=Zach Dundas |date=June 9, 2004 |title=Free for All: How a brainy Brit and an army of idealists are leading Portland to Internet Nirvana |work=Willamette Week |url=http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-3294-free_for_all.html |access-date=August 17, 2013}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{official url}} ([[Wiki]] server)
*[http://www.dailywireless.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3926 Article about the first PTP meeting]<!-- not it does not work for me? -->
*[http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2002/02/04/story3.html Article about PTP in the Portland Business Journal]

[[Category:Wireless network organizations]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Communications in Oregon]]
[[Category:Wiki communities]]
[[Category:Wi-Fi providers]]
[[Category:2000 establishments in Oregon]]