Cities turning off plans for Wi-Fi
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CHICAGO - Plans to blanket cities across the nation with low-cost or free wireless Internet access are being delayed or abandoned because they are proving to be too costly and complicated.
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VENICE -- The idea sounds good on paper: Build a mesh network of wireless Wi-Fi base stations and let users roam around an entire city instead of providing limited connectivity in a handful of hot spots. But will it work? The City of Philadelphia hopes so.
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In September, the city of Philadelphia announced its plans to invest in a new wireless mesh network based on the current Wi-Fi 802.11b standard. By deploying Wi-Fi antennae on streetlights and other traffic control devices, city officials hope they can turn all 135 square miles of Philadelphia into the world's largest wireless Internet hot spot, according to a press release on the city's website.
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There could be trouble when metro-scale Wi-Fi systems run in the same areas as unrelated WLANs, but there are ways to minimize the effects of this interference, says columnist Craig. J. Mathias.
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By Robert Weisman, The Boston Globe  Jun. 9--Boston's plan to blanket the city with wireless Internet  connections is set to pick up speed this month as companies jockey to play a  role and a pilot WiFi project gets underway in a square-mile area of the Grove  Hall neighborhood.
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British cities and their Wi-Fi providers are sniping at each other over who is really putting out Wi-Fi service and who is only putting out press releases.
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Private companies only Dublin has abandoned its plan to blanket the city with free Wi-Fi as it thinks it might breach EU law on state aid, and they haven't got the â¬27m it's going to cost anyway.â¦
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Companies don't seem interested in building public broadband infrastructure for small cities, so municipalities will have to get creative.
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EarthLink's plans to lay off 900 people signals change for wi-fi deployment efforts, observers say.
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Federal and state governments usually promote competition for telecom services, but some states are blocking free Wi-Fi access.
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Researchers say large numbers of wireless routers could be susceptible to a piggyback attack in dense urban areas.
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Two important votes concerning San Francisco's plan for citywide Wi-Fi that were set for this week have been pushed back, delaying what may be life-or-death decisions on the controversial network.
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Manchester City Council plans free wi-fi zone covering more than 400 square miles.
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Ambitious plans for big Wi-Fi networks to provide free or low-cost wireless Internet access are being abandoned or scaled back by US cities as the economics of the deals turn out to be more challenging than expected.
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City leaders don't need to be convinced of the benefits of high-bandwidth networks. Convincing them to pay for it is another matter.
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EarthLink says it can't afford to foot the bill to build citywide Wi-Fi networks, jeopardizing cities' plans to provide low-income residents with affordable broadband.
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By Vince Vasquez Public officials in Bloomington and Normal are exploring ways to provide high-speed wireless Internet access, or &quot;Muni WiFi,&quot; for every resident. A closer look at the Muni WiFi phenomenon reveals numerous digital dangers ahead for Twin City taxpayers.