- City Of London Goes Wi-Fi
- EarthLink, Google Submit Joint RFP For San Francisco Wireless Broadband Network
- Chicago Considers Citywide Wi-Fi

MetroFi Considers Sale & End To Muni Wi-Fi Projects
The shakeout continues in the municipal Wi-Fi market as MetroFi indicated it is mulling a sale and ending its muni-WiFi initiatives in the nine cities where it operates WiFi networks.  Lucie Poulicakos, MetroFi's vice president of operations, told the Wall Street Journal that the company couldn't navigate the budget restrictions of these municipal projects.  Like EarthLink, MetroFi struggled with the free and low-cost Internet service aspect of the business.  MetroFi's biggest project (see Portland, Oregon) has stalled because of financial troubles.  Poulicakos said the company has approached the cities it serves, which also include Aurora, Ill.; San Jose, Calif.; and other Silicon Valley towns, with plans to sell their networks to them or another party.  If no buyers emerge, the company will shut down the networks in 30 to 60 days.  Cities were notified earlier in the week, and were surprised. Details.

Analyst: EarthLink Exit Will Not Doom Muni Wi-Fi
EarthLink’s departure from the municipal wireless business and its decision to sell its assets shouldn’t adversely affect the industry, according to analyst Craig Settles.  “People are moving forward with plans or assessing plans to use the networks as a government resource, a tool for managing mobile workers and mobile/fixed assets,” Settles told Telephony Online.  “Any city going down that path was not considering EarthLink to be a supplier.”  Details.

San Francisco Wireless Project Stalls Over Political Disputes
“An ambitious high-speed Internet project in San Francisco has become bogged down by political disputes among city officials, and two major technology firms could get cut from the initiative before the argument is resolved,” National Journal’s Technology Daily reported.  “The city's Board of Supervisors last month called for a study into the feasibility and cost of an alternative to a proposal submitted by EarthLink and Google to build a citywide wireless network.  The board wants to determine whether it would be cheaper for the city to build and operate the network on its own, rather than contracting the project to private firms.  The study is not expected to be competed until December,” the article said.  An Institute for Local Self-Reliance report released earlier this year found that a publicly owned network would repay the city's original investment in less than five years, and generate a yearly average of more than $2 million over 10 years.  Also, the Federal Trade Commission issued a report this month on financial models, as previously reported in WCA’s Bulletin: “Municipal Provision of Wireless Internet.”

U.S. Municipalities To Spend Over $3 Billion On Public Wi-Fi In Next Four Years
More than $3 billion will be spent over the next four years to build and operate public wireless networks for U.S. municipalities, according to a new report by Muniwireless.com, which is a first-time Media Partner for WCA's Symposium. Spending will exceed $235 million in 2006 - significantly higher the forecast of $177 million made last year, the report said. For 2007, spending will reach $460 million, compared to last year's estimate of $406 million, it said. In 2008, U.S. spending will grow 105% to $940 million, and 2009 spending will increase another 87% to $1.8 billion, according to the report.

New Orleans To Take Down Municipal Network After EarthLink Builds Its Own
"New Orleans will take down its wireless data network once EarthLink finishes deployment of its network for the city," Communications Daily reported, quoting municipal IT Director Mark Kurt. "The network will come down to avoid 'overlap'…despite the long fight with state regulators to ensure the municipal network's survival. EarthLink began deploying its systems in September, and will provide the lower-mid tier service for free until it determines that the city has finished rebuilding."

Boston Launches City’s First Wi-Fi Pilot Project
Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced this week that the city is taking first steps in implementing the recommendations of its Wireless Task Force to set up a citywide wholesale non-profit organization to sell Wi-Fi access to any retail entity, with retailers providing access to consumers and businesses in Boston.  He said the city’s wireless initiative will begin work immediately on its first demonstration program in several neighborhoods.  Among companies participating in the project is WCA Board member GigaBeam, which will provide its ultra high-speed radio equipment to facilitate the transmittal of the Internet backhaul.  Details.

AT&T, City of Riverside Sign Citywide Wi-Fi Agreement
AT&T and the city of Riverside, CA, announced an agreement for an AT&T citywide Wi-Fi wireless broadband Internet access network which will, ultimately, cover the city's 80-plus square miles.  The agreement represents the largest planned AT&T deployment of citywide Wi-Fi service to date and will be the nation's largest Wi-Fi network that is designed for both public and municipal use, they said.  The agreement calls for AT&T to deploy equipment on city light poles and fixtures throughout the coverage area.  AT&T will maintain and upgrade the network and all related equipment, as well as handle all customer service operations.  Users will be able to choose from a variety of connectivity options, including a free advertising-supported access choice or a higher-speed access service offered by AT&T.  In addition, the city of Riverside will use a parallel AT&T Wi-Fi system supporting municipal and public-safety communications needs.  Construction of the network is expected to begin shortly, and service options will be available online in early 2007.  Details.

FTC Issues Municipal Wireless Report
The possibility of competitive risks from municipal participation in wireless Internet service requires careful analysis by policymakers, according to a report prepared by Federal Trade Commission (FTC).  The report, “Municipal Provision of Wireless Internet,” offers guidance for policymakers considering these questions.  Rather than attempt to provide a one-size-fits all answer for every municipality, the report sets forth a decision-tree framework with a variety of options, recognizing that the potential benefits and risks of municipal involvement in wireless Internet may vary with a municipality’s circumstances, such as the availability of broadband in the area and possible improvements in providing government services through increased broadband access.  The report describes the various wireless Internet technologies currently in use or under development, identifies a range of operating models that have been used to provide or facilitate wireless Internet service, summarizes the major arguments for and against municipal participation, and describes various types of legislative proposals related to municipal Internet service.  The report is the first publicly released work from the FTC’s Internet Access Task Force, convened by Chairman Deborah Platt Majoras in August 2006.

WCA 'Muni Wireless' Keynoter Cropp Receives Key Endorsement For Mayor, Meets WCA CEO
WCA 2006 Metro Washington Municipal Wireless Showcase keynote speaker Linda W. Cropp received a key endorsement in her race to become mayor of Washington, DC, and also delivered an upbeat assessment of city progress at a neighborhood gathering that I attended on behalf of WCA. Already the number two official in the U.S. capital as the longtime City Council Chairman, Cropp received the endorsement of outgoing Mayor Anthony Williams, who was a featured speaker at WCA 2005 in delivering the welcoming address. Accompanied by the current mayor's mother, Cropp spoke eloquently for nearly an hour on Memorial Day to a neighborhood gathering of about 40 persons in my residential section of Washington, DC. Among her points were that the city was in junk bond status when she assumed her current role, and now has an extraordinary 5% of its annual budget in the bank earning interest due to sound management - despite no voting power in Congress and a drain of two-thirds of the city-generated income to suburban residents who pay no city taxes. In the company of allies who have supported her through the years on critical issues, I took the opportunity to thank her and her staff for their leadership in issues for downtown revitalization and fiscal responsibility - and her leadership in advanced communications, which is the topic of her WCA 2006 keynote on June 30.

Chicago Issues RFP To Provide Affordable Internet Access Throughout The City
Chicago issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking private-sector partners to provide affordable broadband Internet access throughout the city, including free wireless service in schools, parks and major public places. Mayor Richard Daley also offered $250,000 in grants to help community groups come up with innovative ways to help close the digital divide, and appointed an advisory panel to make further recommendations on the issue. Under the Mayor's plan, the City would partner with a private firm or consortium to develop and deploy a high-speed, wireless network. The City would offer the long-term use of its infrastructure, such as street lights and lamp poles. If necessary, the City would broker agreements with its sister agencies and local utilities to use their infrastructure, as well. Details.

EarthLink Launches Network Alliance Program
EarthLink Municipal Networks announced launch of what it calls EarthLink Network Alliance - a nationwide municipal wireless partnership program with small ISPs to help meet different cities' deployment schedules. Communications Daily quoted EarthLink Vice President for Corporate Development William Tolpegin as saying that the program will expand EarthLink's service territory and will advance municipal wireless, without stretching too much financially. The move signals the company's growing interest in muni wireless, although dial-up, voice and other services will remain significant parts of its business, according to Tolpegin, who is a speaker at WCA 2006.

N.Y. Attorney General Calls For State Rules Reform To Encourage Broadband Expansion
N.Y. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer (D) encouraged his state to look at Philadelphia's model of offering municipal broadband access to residents and move in the same direction, according to press reports. He said he would have state Public Service Commission reform rules that impede broadband growth and called on the federal government to expand Universal Service Fund coverage to include Internet service….In a related development, the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation set a July deadline for building Central Park's Wi-Fi network.

Philadelphia City Council Approves EarthLink Wi-Fi Project
The Philadelphia City Council approved 10-year contract with WCA member EarthLink Municipal Networks to deploy a 135-square-mile citywide municipal Wi-Fi broadband network. Under the deal, EarthLink will build, manage and fund the network, offering high-speed Internet access to low-income residents for about $10 a month and to other subscribers for about $20 a month.

San Francisco Picks EarthLink, Google For Wi-Fi Deployment
San Francisco chose a plan submitted by WCA member EarthLink and Google to provide a free citywide Wi-Fi network. The Department of Telecommunications and Information Services will now begin contract negotiations with the two companies. Under the plan that EarthLink and Google submitted to the city, EarthLink would offer a paid 1 Mbps service, and Google would manage a free but slower service with speeds of 256-384 kbps. The agreement would provide also for major roles for WCA member companies Motorola and Tropos Networks, with the major players expected to discuss this and similar build outs at WCA 2006.

"San Francisco is one of the most progressive cities in the world and our combined offerings with Google, Motorola and Tropos Networks will stretch the possibilities of what a mobile network can do for residents, businesses, municipal government and visitors. We look forward to getting started in building a solution that will bring the incredible possibilities to reality."
-- Donald Berryman, Executive Vice President, EarthLink & President, EarthLink Municipal Networks

Orlando To Announce Vendors For Wi-Fi Deployment
Orlando is on the verge of announcing which three vendors will deploy Wi-Fi in the city, according to RCR Wireless. It further reported, "Free Wi-Fi is just one piece of the city's project. The other parts involve exclusive rights to provide 'communications, video and broadband services' to planned construction projects in the city."

Metro Wi-Fi Network Coverage To Top 126,000 Square Miles By 2010
Municipal Wi-Fi networks will cover 126,000 square miles worldwide by 2010, compared to only about 1,500 square miles in 2005, according to a report by ABI Research. The bulk of these deployments will take place in North America and the Asia-Pacific region. To serve those networks, more than one million wireless mesh routers will be shipped in 2010, driving the manufacturing revenue to over $1.2 billion, it predicted.

Washington, DC Prepares RFP To Build Wireless Internet System
The Washington, DC government is working on a request for proposal (RFP) that asks companies to bid on building a wireless Internet system throughout most of the city, including free service for low-income residents, according to the Washington Post. The District plans to award the winning bidder an exclusive, eight-year franchise to place wireless devices on District-owned street lights and buildings, as well as some free access to the District's private fiber-optic network. D.C. Deputy Chief Technology Officer Peter Roy, who is writing the RFP, said he that hopes companies such as Sprint Nextel and Verizon Communications would consider bidding. Details. WCA hosted several high-level speakers from the city government at WCA 2006, including Mayor Anthony Williams and leading executives from the Office of the Chief Technology officer. We expect to illuminate the details of the RFP process through the spring and this June's convention, working closely with WCA's Municipal Wireless Task Force to foster public-private cooperation on relevant issues.

Philadelphia, EarthLink Sign Wireless Internet Agreement
The City of Philadelphia and EarthLink signed four agreements to make wireless Internet service available throughout the city, Mayor John Street announced last week, as expected. Under the agreements, EarthLink will build, manage and maintain a wireless network over the city's 135 square miles. EarthLink will install transmittal devices on approximately 4,000 of the city's street lamp pole arms for which it will pay the city. It will provide free hotspots in 22 locations around Philadelphia, and provide the city with 3,000 free or discounted WiFi accounts and 700 discounted T-1 accounts. Economically disadvantaged users will be charged $9.95 a month while other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) will be charged a wholesale rate that allows them to sell access for $20 a month or less to retail customers. EarthLink will pay the city 5% of access revenue. Network construction will begin this summer and finish by early 2007. Details.

City Of London Goes Wi-Fi
The City of London Corporation announced plans to install a comprehensive Wi-Fi Internet network throughout London's Square Mile. Expected to go live in the next few months with virtually the entire city covered within six months, the Wi-Fi network will be installed in existing street furniture, including lamp posts and street signs. "We feel it is important to provide this technology to maintain our position as the world's leading international financial center," said Michael Snyder, chairman of the City of London's policy committee. Details.

EarthLink, Google Submit Joint RFP For San Francisco Wireless Broadband Network
WCA member EarthLink teamed with Google on a bid to build a citywide wireless municipal network in San Francisco. Under the Request for Proposal (RFP) the companies submitted to the city, EarthLink would offer a paid 1 Mbps service, and Google would manage a free but slower service with speeds of 256-384 kbps. They would share costs of network construction and management. "By coming together to leverage the strengths of both companies, we will be able to offer services to different customers on the network that fit with their own individual needs and wants," said EarthLink Executive Vice President Donald Berryman, who is also president of EarthLink's municipal networks unit. "Fundamentally, the RFP is in line with EarthLink's belief in 'open access' - that these municipal networks should offer the tools, services and applications that businesses, governments and consumers want to use to enable, enrich and empower their Internet experiences."

Chicago Considers Citywide Wi-Fi
Chicago Chief Information Officer Chris O'Brien said last week that the city will invite technology companies to submit proposals this spring on how to build a citywide wireless broadband network. The city won't invest money or operate the service, which he said "cannot be too expensive and must be universally available across the city."

EarthLink Signs Wireless Contract In Philadelphia
EarthLink has reached a 10-year contract on a citywide wireless network in Philadelphia. EarthLink will pay the cost of building the Wi-Fi network to cover 135 square miles. It will charge $9 a month wholesale to ISPs, who will resell service to the public. The contract will go before the City Counsel for approval in February, with construction expected to start immediately after approval. Details.

Over 400 Cities Worldwide Plan To Deploy Municipal Broadband Networks
Over 400 cities worldwide are planning to deploy municipal broadband networks and that number will double in 2006, making community broadband initiative a significant trend, predicts a new report by the research consultancy Visiongain. It said that there are now over 100 city and regional wireless broadband networks operational worldwide, more than 40 of which are in the U.S. "We believe resistance towards Muni networks is futile," said report lead author Pam Duffey. "By 2010/2011, we believe the majority of cities and townships in the U.S. will have a municipal wireless network in place, and the focus then will be in uniting them into a seamless, if not centralized, national network." Details.

Milwaukee Plans Wi-Fi Network
After winning an agreement to build a Wi-Fi network throughout Milwaukee, operators of Midwest Fiber Networks said they hope to have a demonstration network working over a six-square-mile area by summer.  The Milwaukee company's goal is to blanket the entire city with Wi-Fi access by mid-2007, according to an article last week in the Chicago Tribune.  As part of its agreement with the city, charges for high-speed Internet access using the Milwaukee wireless network couldn't exceed $20 a month.  As envisioned in the city's agreement, the Milwaukee wireless network will offer a number of free Web sites featuring information about the city and other public service features.  

Wall Street Journal Reports On Major Taiwain Wi-Fi Project
The build-out of a major Wi-Fi access project in Taiwan’s capital city of Taipei was the subject of an in-depth feature in the Wall Street Journal.  It described what is expected to become “the world's first citywide wireless-computer network in a major metropolis.”  The network was initiated by the Taipei city government and built by a private company, and already includes more than 3,300 wireless access points that cover half the city's 106 square miles to let Taipei's 2.6 million residents surf the Internet or send emails.  City officials say that when it is completed around midyear, it will cover more than 90% of Taipei.  The Symposium’s opening keynote by Intel Corp. covered the Taipei launch. 

W2i
www.w2i.org

Wireless Philadelphia
www.phila.gov/wireless/index.html

U.S. Federal Trade Commission: "Municipal Provision of Wireless Internet"  
(Staff Report, Sept. 2006) (www.ftc.gov)