Real story of citywide wi-fi

SLIGHTING municipal wi-fi is all the rage these days in the technology and business press, but the analyses are wrongly-focused.

Journalists are increasingly wont to harp on business models and subscriber numbers at the expense of the big picture. The positive momentum surrounding Philadelphia's leadership and Digital Inclusion efforts is the real story.

Expecting this new technology to work perfectly out of the gate is unrealistic, and it clouds the true virtue of the Wireless Philadelphia Initiative.

What's happening in Philadelphia and other cities around the country is about moving society ahead as a whole.

It's about connecting families that have been cut off from technological opportunity, and creating exciting new opportunities for everyone.

Wireless Philadelphia has made great strides this summer in pursuit of "digital inclusion." The organization has so far provided wireless Internet bundles - including a refurbished laptop, technical support and training, and one year of wireless high-speed Internet access through Earthlink - to almost 300 families, with funding in place to serve several hundred more in the coming weeks. Outreach is under way to bring a new set of community partners on board to facilitate the delivery of this invaluable service.

We laud Earthlink's outstanding contributions. The company has shown tremendous guts in embracing this exciting new technology, and boldly committed itself to expanding the market and bringing new people into the technological conversation. It is also providing citizens with the ability to roam around the city and stay connected, and to use the service for free in 23 parks all over town.

A May 2007 editorial in the Inquirer said, "The next mayor will be limited only by his imagination in putting wi-fi to good civic uses."

We recognize that pressure to restructure municipal wi-fi business models may be mounting, but we urge that the long-term potential of these initiatives not be sacrificed to short-term objectives.

As coverage rapidly expands, citizens are responding impressively: Subscriptions to the network have more than tripled in the last quarter. With a portion of every subscription dedicated to digital inclusion, these citizens are also making a substantive contribution to the movement.

Philadelphia is a pioneer in undertaking this massive effort to deploy a new technology on a grander scale than ever before.

MANY customers are very pleased with their experience with the service, and the vast majority - even those who have had less-than-stellar experiences - express strong support for the concepts underlying Wireless Philadelphia's efforts.

This energy, and the progress that is fueling it, is great news, and the real news story. *

Greg H. Goldman is the CEO of Wireless Philadelphia.