PHILADELPHIA – By the end of next year, the entire city of Philadelphia will be inside one big broadband wireless bubble.
City leaders this week selected ISP EarthLink to build and provide the largest municipal Wi-Fi broadband network so far on record, 135 square miles.
“Wireless Philadelphia” as the project is being called, will ensure that anyone anywhere in the city can gain access to a broadband wireless network. EarthLink estimates the retail price for access will be around US$20 a month. The release didn’t contemplate what having town council behind a city-wide Internet bubble might do to local ISPs.
"Wireless Philadelphia represents an important milestone in the deployment of wireless broadband in the United States on such a wide scale," said Garry Betty, EarthLink’s president and CEO, in a release. "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."
With this move, “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, 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 city-wide Wi-Fi mesh network is expected to be fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2006. The network is intended to provide inexpensive, high-speed Internet access; open access for multiple, competing service providers; roaming capabilities for providers of hot spot access; free Internet access in some parks and public spaces; daily and weekly access for occasional users and visitors; small business connectivity; and serve as a wireless T-1 alternative.
Under the terms of the proposal, 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 Corporation.
EarthLink will also help Wireless Philadelphia promote ‘digital inclusion,’ – a cornerstone of the project – which is a program to offer certain qualifying Philadelphia residents discounted Internet access at approximately $10 per month.
