Philly's citywide mesh Wi-Fi net will be challenge
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The city of Philadelphia plans to invest in a new wireless mesh network based on the Wi-Fi 802.11b standard, and officials hope to turn the 135-square-mile city into the world's largest wireless Internet hot spot.
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While the news about municipal Wi-Fi has been grim lately, columnist Craig Mathias describes why he thinks it will inevitably succeed.
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Plans for municipal Wi-Fi in a dozen cities currently in negotiations with EarthLink may be in jeopardy as the company is imposing new demands on how the networks are to be paid for.
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Wireless Philadelphia, a nonprofit group formed by the city of Philadelphia, has okayed a Wi-Fi test network, opening the door for Earthlink to complete a 135-square-mile network that covers the city.
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Philadelphia officials have laid the  groundwork to provide wireless, high-speed Internet access  anywhere in the city, but their plan is threatened under a  state bill that could be signed into law on Tuesday.
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Investor's Business Daily - With Philadelphia's recent proposal to install a citywide broadband wireless network, will there be brotherly love between the city and its broadband service providers?
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By CHRIS WETTERICH STAFF WRITER  Did the city of Springfield move too fast to scuttle a proposed downtown wireless Internet network?   One member of the group that planned that network said last week that may be the case.
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Meraki, a wireless-networking startup, announced plans on Friday to deploy a citywide wireless network that will provide free Internet access for every neighborhood in San Francisco.
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City will build the world's largest mesh Wi-Fi network to spread Internet access.
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Cities and towns are jumping on the Wi-Fi bandwagon. But a municipal model of connectivity may be tricky to pull off.
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Philadelphia officials have laid the groundwork to provide wireless, high-speed Internet access anywhere in the city, but their plan could be scotched under a state bill that could be signed into law on Tuesday.
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Philadelphia and Verizon Communications Inc. were nearing an agreement Tuesday that would allow the city to provide wireless Internet access as a municipal service, even if Gov. Ed Rendell signs legislation to give Verizon the power to pre-empt the project.
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But does it fit the bill for muni Wi-Fi? While the promise of free-for-all municipal Wi-Fi networks remains on the horizon for most â and a Googly mess for others â mesh wireless, the technology that utopians fancy will float us away on a cloud of education, is making practical progress.â¦
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(InfoWorld) - The sun came out for EarthLink's Philadelphia Wi-Fi network on Thursday even as prospects forÂ its San Francisco projectÂ remain shrouded in fog. Wireless Philadelphia, a nonprofit group formed by the city of Philadelphia, has approved the 15-square-mile Wi-Fi test network EarthLink built, opening the door for the operator to finish building out a 135-square-mile network covering the city. The approval comes just a month afterÂ EarthLink announced it would scale back its city Wi-Fi initiative, focusing on existing and large cities for the rest of the year. The company has seven or eight cities under contract now and is negotiating with five more, Vice President of Product Strategy and Marketing Cole Reinwand said last week. It decided to stagger its Wi-Fi expansion to conserve resources, he said. Residents can already use the 15-square-mile network in Philadelphia. The full network is expected to be complete in the third quarter. EarthLink is financing, building, and managing the network and will share revenue with Wireless Philadelphia, which will offer cut-rate access for low-income people. For six months, customers of a 1MbpsÂ service will pay an introductory rate of $6.95 per month, which bumps up to $19.95 thereafter. A faster 3Mbps service is available for $9.95 for the first six months and $21.95 after that. City parks will have free access, and low-income residents can sign up for service at $9.95 per month, before promotions. Customers can also pay for service on an hourly, daily or three-day basis. The Philadelphia Wi-Fi network is notable because when announced, it set off a storm of controversy that resulted in a Pennsylvania law requiring municipalities to receive approval from incumbent telecommunications operators before building Wi-Fi networks. The law was created after incumbents complained that by financing Wi-Fi networks, cities were building networks that would compete with their businesses. The San Francisco project, which has drawn attention partly because of Google's planned involvement as provider of a free citywide service, has run into fierce opposition from activists as well as some local elected officials. The proposed contract is scheduled for a vote by the city and county's board of supervisors in July.
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In a victory for Verizon Communications, a law will make it harder for cities to build Internet networks that compete with major telecommunications providers.
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HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 30 -- The city of Philadelphia and Verizon Communications Inc. struck an agreement Tuesday that would allow the city to provide wireless Internet access as a municipal service even if Gov. Edward G. Rendell (D) signs legislation to give Verizon the power to scuttle the project.
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Municipalities that plan to use new Wi-Fi networks being built in their cities will likely drive future growth of the citywide Wi-Fi movement.