AURORA, Ill.—The city of Aurora, Ill., a suburb about 40 miles west of Chicago, awarded two contracts this week as it prepares to launch a citywide Wi-Fi network that is scheduled to offer free public Internet access as well as public-works and public-safety services.
SkyPilot Networks, a broadband wireless mesh network provider, and MetroFi, which designs and operates citywide Wi-Fi networks, were awarded contracts to assist the city with its Wi-Fi project.
The contracts call for MetroFi to operate the advertising-sponsored Wi-Fi service, which will be free to citizens. SkyPilot is providing equipment including its SkyExtender DualBand high-capacity mesh backhaul device.
The companies said the network would be the first citywide Wi-Fi system in Illinois, although Chicago could be close behind as city officials there have initiated the RFP process and expect to make broadband Internet access widely available by next year.
Aurora has a population of about 170,000 people and spans 42 square miles.
MetroFi and SkyPilot previously have worked together on municipal Wi-Fi deployments in Cupertino, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale, Calif. The Sunnyvale deployment, announced late last year, marked the first free advertising-sponsored community Wi-Fi system in the United States, according to MetroFi.
