Cingular Wireless L.L.C., the nation’s largest wireless carrier, gave a “suggestion” to San Francisco that the city let Cingular’s EDGE network complement its planned Wi-Fi project. A host of companies submitted proposals to supply San Francisco’s 750,000 or so residents with Wi-Fi Internet access.
The city said it received 24 proposals from businesses and other entities, namely Google Inc., EarthLink Inc. and local wireless broadband startup Feeva Inc. Google proposed free Wi-Fi Internet access for residents via an advertising-funded network.
The city first asked for proposals in mid-August, and the deadline was Sept. 30.
In other municipal Wi-Fi news, Atlanta-based EarthLink said it has been selected by Wireless Philadelphia to develop and implement a 135-square-mile citywide Wi-Fi mesh network by the fourth quarter of 2006.
The network will be the nation’s largest municipal Wi-Fi broadband network, said EarthLink, which will provide the infrastructure for the massive hot spot, relieving the city of raising the estimated $20 million that it would have needed to build and maintain the network. In fact, EarthLink said its proposal states that no city or taxpayer dollars will be used to fund the project. EarthLink will finance, build and manage the wireless network and provide Wireless Philadelphia with revenue-sharing fees to help support the Wireless Philadelphia Non-Profit Corp.
For its investment, EarthLink will provide the city government, schools, and other entities with wireless Internet access while charging about $20 per month for private access and about $10 per month for low-income residents.
“Wireless Philadelphia represents an important milestone in the deployment of wireless broadband in the United States on such a wide scale,” said Garry Betty, president and chief executive at EarthLink. “It provides a competitive alternative to high-speed Internet offerings and gives many Internet users the ability to stay connected, no matter where they are in the city. EarthLink looks forward to helping the Wireless Philadelphia board of directors deliver affordable broadband access to those who live, work and visit the City of Philadelphia.”
“In selecting EarthLink, Wireless Philadelphia moves one step closer to fulfilling its charter to strengthen the city’s economy and transform Philadelphia’s neighborhoods by providing high-speed, low-cost wireless access throughout the city,” said Dianah Neff, director of technology for the city of Philadelphia and Wireless Philadelphia acting board chair. “The EarthLink partnership is an unprecedented public/private partnership to provide wireless broadband access, as well as new and exciting future products in Philadelphia.”
“The two parties have reached agreement on the major business terms of the contract and are working to complete a definitive agreement within the next 60 days,” said Donald Berryman, president of municipal networks at EarthLink.
An official announcement from Mayor John Street’s office is expected today in Philadelphia.
