Wireless Facilities Inc. said it’s joining forces with Google Inc. to bid on San Francisco’s municipal Wi-Fi project. WFI specializes in the design, deployment and management of wireless networks and said it’s ready to provide Google with its services.
“As noted in the proposal, WFI is partnering with Google in an attempt to offer Wi-Fi throughout the City of San Francisco,” said Eric DeMarco, president and chief executive of WFI. “With over a decade of experience designing, deploying and managing communications networks, WFI can provide a strong network infrastructure component to the Google bid.
“The growing municipal wireless market is a strategic focus for WFI. As a result of our experience designing and deploying both Wi-Fi and cellular and PCS networks, we believe we are very well positioned to aid local governments in the deployment of their wireless networks, and we expect this market to play an increasingly important role in our business in the future.”
In mid-August, San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom asked businesses and nonprofits to submit proposals for the city’s municipal Wi-Fi project, which the mayor said aims to provide low-cost or free Wi-Fi Internet access to the city’s residents.
The city said it received 24 proposals by the Sept. 30 deadline, and although the city has not released many details of the proposals, it has confirmed that Cingular Wireless L.L.C., EarthLink Inc., broadband start-up Feeva Inc. and Google Inc. submitted proposals.
Terms of the agreement between Google and WFI were not disclosed.
AnchorFree Wireless Inc. announced today that it too submitted a Wi-Fi network proposal to the city, and the Wi-Fi access provider said that its subscriber base in its San Francisco hot zones grew by 250 percent during the past five months.
AnchorFree Wireless said it launched free hot zones in February, blanketing the commercial areas of Chestnut Street with free 54 megabits per second Wi-Fi Internet access. Now, AnchorFree Wireless has free hot zones in five other San Francisco neighborhoods, including Cow Hollow, The Castro, Marina District, Pacific Heights and Union Square.
“AnchorFree Wireless has gotten to know the unique neighborhoods and the wireless needs of San Franciscans, and as a result, we are experiencing impressive growth of our service,” said David Gorodyansky, president of AnchorFree Wireless. “AnchorFree looks forward to continuing to serve its users, as well as working with the mayor’s office and other vendors to serve all of San Francisco with free wireless access.”
