Suffolk County’s Department of Information Technology will no longer accept responses from vendors concerning the Request for Expressions of Interest, Information and Comments that it put out in early July as of today, August 30. The end of the month also marks the end of the Suffolk County Wireless Committee’s focus groups and Island-wide phone survey. The county believes it should have enough information and feedback by now to begin the formal Request for Proposals, which it hopes will go out to potential vendors before the end of the year.

Because the county will need extra manpower during this time, an introductory resolution was brought up in the county Legislature on August 8 with the intent of creating a local law that will establish a “Local Development Corporation” for the purpose of developing the WiFi network.

“What we realized is that we are going to need a legal entity to oversee this project,” said Legislator Wayne Horsley (D-Lindenhurst), who, along with Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, requested that the measure be brought to the table. “This is going to be a very powerful corporation.”

If the bill is approved by the county Legislature and signed by Levy, the group will be given carte blanche on decisions concerning the WiFi system. “All approvals will go through them,” Horsley said.

The group will consist of five directors with equal three-year terms. The presiding officer and the minority leader of the Suffolk County Legislature will each be granted one appointment, the Nassau County Legislature will be able to make one appointment, and the Suffolk County Executive will appoint the final two directors. While it is unclear right now exactly who the candidates are for these positions, Horsley notes that the directors will be those willing to devote their time and efforts to the project. “They will be the experts,” he said. “[They] will incorporate suggestions from the private sector ... to make the network a reality.”

Levy believes that the LDC will serve as the perfect barometer at this juncture in the wireless process. “Creating an LDC is the next step before the Request for Proposals,” he said. “We will be able to determine how vast our network can be.” He continued to say that the LDC will also have to determine whether the network will be free or provided at a nominal charge, but insisted that they would try their best not to increase taxes.

If and when the measure is approved by the Legislature and signed by Levy, the LDC will research viable methods to produce a large-scale wireless project, promote businesses to get on board and hold meetings to discuss the system with the public. However, arguably the group’s most important task will be to gather responses from the private sector in order to construct the wireless service. These businesses will need to create the proper infrastructure, secure architecture and installation services, and sustain a maintenance and customer service system. Because of the importance of this assignment, Horsley believes the LDC is a vital component to a wireless network and thinks the Legislature will also see it this way when it comes time to vote on the proposal.

“I don’t think this bill is very controversial,” he said. “Everyone is on board that WiFi is coming.” However, some legislators noted that they would continue to mull over the proposition until it will be voted on at the next meeting of the Legislature.

Horsley feels that it would be a feather in Suffolk County’s hat to have a 1,200-square-mile wireless network. He also credited Levy with having the foresight to create such a project.

“[Levy’s] the one who set us into motion,” Horsley said. “This has been a partnership of the county executive and the Legislature. If we pull this off ... it will be a great technology.”