Metrofi

Santa Clara electric utility takes over metro WiFi network

Lynnette Luna — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 21:56:12 -0400

While all of the cities that EarthLink and MetroFi have abandoned have declined to take over the existing WiFi network, the city of Santa Clara's electric utility said it plans to take over MetroFi's free muni-WiFi network, which was shut down last month when MetroFi essentially went of business. The utility had already planned on using the WiFi network to support a remote meter reading project. Now it also says it would take over the task of supporting and possibly expanding the free wireless network. The utility said it has contracted with a company called 180 Connect to conduct a signal strength study to enhance service in weak reception areas and upgrade equipment in those areas. Advertisements and the requirement to login to MSN will be removed.

For more:
- check out The Santa Clara Weekly

Related stories:
MetroFi shutters its service. MetroFi story
MetroFi officially pulls out of WiFi biz in Portland and other cities. WiFi story

MetroFi officially pulls out of WiFi biz in Portland and other cities

Lynnette Luna — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:10:10 -0400

As expected, MetroFi is pulling the plug on its metro WiFi initiative in Portland, and unlike Philadelphia, there doesn't appear to be a white knight to swoop in and save the project. Last month, MetroFi indicated it was mulling a sale and ending its muni-WiFi initiatives in the nine cities where it operates WiFi networks. It is now making good on those statements by shutting down all nine initiatives.

Portland appears to be taking it in stride, which means it likely won't go to the lengths that Philadelphia did to secure a new owner. Philadelphia last week reached an agreement with a local investor group called Network Acquisition Company LLC (NAC) to take over the operations of Philadelphia's Wireless Initiative after a city councilman aggressively searched for a new buyer. MetroFi had offered to sell the network to the city of Portland for just under $900,000, but the city declined, stating it was not interested in paying that much to run the network.

Logan Kleier, project manager for the city's Bureau of Technology Services told InformationWeek that he was happy to see the network accomplish what it did.

MetroFi is also shutting down WiFi initiatives in the northern California cities of Concord, Cupertino, Foster City, San Jose, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale along with Riverside in southern California and Aurora and Naperville in Illinois.

For more:
- read InformationWeek

Related stories:
MetroFi considers sale and end to muni-WiFi projects. MetroFi sale story
MetroFi wants $9M from Portland to finish WiFi. MetroFi story
Investor group takes over Philly WiFi network. Philadelphia WiFi story

MetroFi tells subscribers to find another provider

Lynnette Luna — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:37:22 -0400

MetroFi has told its muni-WiFi subscribers in many of its California markets that it will shut down their service on June 20. The move comes after MetroFi last month revealed it was having difficulty with the muni-WiFi model. Namely, it struggled with the budget restrictions of municipal WiFi projects. MetroFi's biggest project, Portland, Ore., had stalled because of financial troubles. At that time, the company was hoping to sell its networks to the cities it served. If that didn't happen, the company said it would shutter its service in 30 to 60 days. Now MetroFi is encouraging its subscribers remove the MSN SideGuide application from their computers and find another WiFi provider.

MetroFi's business appeared on shaky ground a year ago, when the company said it would no longer offer free public WiFi in newly contracted cities that won't commit to minimum municipal service purchases. It's unclear what will happen to the company itself. MetroFi has indicated it is looking for a buyer.

For more:
- see the San Jose Mercury News

Related stories:
MetroFi considers sale and end to muni-WiFi projects
MetroFi wants $9M from Portland to finish WiFi

MetroFi mulls sale and end to muni-WiFi initiatives

Mon, 19 May 2008 06:59:57 -0400

The shakeout continues in the muni-WiFi market as MetroFi indicated it is mulling a sale and ending its muni-WiFi initiatives in the nine cities where it operates WiFi networks. Like EarthLink, MetroFi is struggling to make any money on its muni-WiFi initiatives. EarthLink last week pulled out of Philadelphia, the latest in a string of pullouts.

Lucie Poulicakos, MetroFi's vice president of operations, told the Wall Street Journal 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, Portland, Ore., 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.

She also said MetroFi, based in Mountain View, Calif., is considering options for itself, including a sale to a larger company.

For more about MetroFi's muni-WiFi struggles:
- check out this article from The Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)

A few still believe in the old muni-WiFi model

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:59:58 -0400

Last year, a relative unknown newcomer to the muni-WiFi market appeared to be the only WiFi firm left willing to foot the bill to build networks for cities. Florida-based E-Path Communications had agreed to set up two New York pilot projects back in December in Long Island and Eisenhower Park. Officials in Suffolk and Nassau counties wanted to cover 750 square miles with a muni-WiFi network that their governments didn't have to pay for. E-Path had planned to build the network with its own money and sell services back to the city to recoup its investment.

At the time, I asked whether E-Path knew something larger players such as EarthLink and MetroFi didn't. Both of those firms have said to receive a viable return on investment, municipal governments needed to step up and become meaningful anchor tenants before construction.

Not surprisingly, E-Path has done none of the work since it can't seem to find anchor tenants or advertisers, according to Long Island BusinessNews. Trenton, N.J. is in the same boat since E-Path won a similar deal there in November. The mayor asked the city council at a meeting on March 6 for $250,000 to help E-Path start the build-out.

You have to wonder, were these city officials paying attention to the turmoil in the muni-WiFi business when they granted their contracts to E-Path, which had no track record building muni-WiFi networks? Why did they believe things would be different for them? Amazingly, Suffolk County still believes E-Path will execute its agreement even though the company has no money and can't seem to attract partners because it doesn't have a solid business case.--Lynnette

The ad-supported WiFi model revisited

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 06:59:58 -0500

The wireless industry wants so badly to make advertising-supported services work. Advertising means big dollars for operators as they can glean revenues beyond what customers are willing to pay. That's why the idea isn't dying in the WiFi world. In fact, it's growing. JiWire, for instance, allows iPhone users to connect for free at its Ads for Access locations, FreeFi Networks recently rolled out ad-supported WiFi at the Denver International Airport and CBS rolled out WiFi in mid-Manhattan with a homepage supported by advertising.

Wi-Fi Planet has an interesting article on the subject. It talks about the fact that WiFi is so cheap, that it's difficult to entice users to rely on advertising for free WiFi access. Consumers are finicky beings, and thus there is going to be much experimenting. All I know is that we go to great lengths to avoid advertising, which is why DVRs in the TV world are quite appealing and pop-up ad-blocking software for computers is in high demand.

I always think back to NetZero in the 1990s offering free Internet access in exchange for viewing advertising. When the Internet market went bust in 2001, after the crash of Internet advertising, NetZero began charging for access time over 40 hours per month. The move invigorated the company's balance sheet.

The bottom line seems to be that advertising-supported WiFi services are just a component of business models. MetroFi says the only viable business model in the muni-WiFi market is a mixed-use arrangement that calls for municipalities to become anchor tenants alongside ad-supported arrangements. JiWire is counting on volume to make a go of its Ads for Access offering viable. The company says it reaches about 8 million WiFi users per month on networks such as Boingo and Wayport. That way it can attract some of the best-known brands in the world.

The dream of a totally ad-supported WiFi network will probably never come to fruition, but if players can figure out how to make advertising compelling to end users, it will create a nice side revenue stream.--Lynnette

MetroFi wants $9M from Portland to finish WiFi

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:59:53 -0500

MetroFi, the WiFi vendor building out Portland's free muni WiFi network, reportedly won't finish the network until the city coughs up $9 million. However, Portland government officials say they aren't about to do such a thing as their contract with the vendor doesn't stipulate that they buy services from the company. MetroFi apparently ran out of money and stopped building the network this past fall.

For more about the impasse in Portland:
- read this piece from Wi-Fi Net News
- take a look at this article from the Portland Business Journal (sub. req.)

Related articles:
MetroFi logs 20,000 users in Portland Report
Is the muni-WiFi market headed for a shakeout? Report

E-Path willing to foot the muni-WiFi buildout bill

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:59:54 -0500

A relative newcomer to the muni-WiFi market appears to be the only WiFi firm left willing to foot the bill to build networks for cities. Florida-based E-Path Communications was the only responder to an RFP issued by the city of Trenton, N.J. The company plans to build a network that will serve both the city exclusively and offer access to constituents. The company says it will build the network with its own money and sell services back to the city to recoup its investment. Does E-Path know something larger players such as Earthlink and MetroFi don't? Both of those firms have said to receive a viable return on investment, municipal governments need to step up and become meaningful anchor tenants before construction. Given the fact that E-Path was the only bidder on the network, we can guess that it doesn't have a "meaningful" anchor-tenant deal with the city. E-Path, in conjunction with partners, is also planning to build and operate a massive WiFi network in Suffolk and Nassau counties on New York's Long Island.

To read more:
- take a look at this article from The Times
- check out this posting from WiFi Net News

Related articles:
- St. Louis muni-WiFi squashed
- Muni-WiFi: A dream all but dead

Earthlink struggling with wireless initiatives

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 06:59:57 -0400

Two of Earthlink's high-speed wireless initiatives are coming to a head for the ISP. During the company's second-quarter conference call last week, Earthlink President and CEO Roll Huff acknowledged that his company's approach to the muni-WiFi market is not working. To make sure the company gets a return on its investment, he wants "municipal government to step up and become a meaningful anchor tenant on completion of a build."

The announcement is similar to how MetroFi has changed its strategy by pursuing a path that requires anchor-tenant commitments from municipalities to ensure that MetroFi can make money in the market. Earlier this year, EarthLink revealed it was pulling back on its muni-WiFi business to focus on its existing contracts and larger cities for the rest of the year.

Meanwhile, Earthlink's MVNO joint venture with Korean operator SK Telecom continues to bleed money. Thanks to Helio, EarthLink posted a loss of $16.3 million in its second-quarter filing, down from a profit of $16.6 million this time last year. Revenue for the quarter fell 6 percent to $312.2 million, down from $332.1 million a year ago.

Reports circulated a few weeks ago when Huff first took the helm as CEO that he might cut Helio, but EarthLink SK Telecom are making good on their promise to each invest an additional $100 million in the MVNO. Both partners have already approved respective initial funding of $30 million.

For more about Earthlink's wireless woes:
- read this blog from MuniWireless
- check out this press release

ALSO NOTED: Consortium wins Sacramento WiFi network build; Pulse Link sues Tzero over UWB patent; and much more...

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 06:59:51 -0400

> Sacramento Metro Connect, a consortium of Azulstar, Cisco Systems, Intel and SeaKay, will build and operate a wireless broadband network for Sacramento. Article

> Pulse Link is suing Tzero Technologies for patent infringement associated with UWB technology. Article

> Proxim wireless solutions are connecting India's rural communities. Release

> AT&T is adding about 2,000 temporary employees to cope with the influx of shoppers it expects for the iPhone. Article (WSJ sub. req.)

And Finally... Toledo's WiFi director walked out of a weekly staff meeting after what she claimed was verbal abuse by the mayor over preparation for an upcoming meeting with the city council about MetroFi's proposal to build a WiFi network in the city. Article

MetroFi logs 20,000 users in Portland

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 06:59:53 -0400

After taking a hit in recent months over poor coverage in Portland, MetroFi announced that its network there now supports 20,000 users, 11,200 of which used it for a total of 131,000 hours--an average of 94 minutes per session--in May. MetroFi operates the network through a partnership with the city of Portland. Residents complained in March about the poor coverage indoors and several outdoor locations.

For more about MetroFi's users in Portland:
- check out this article from Wi-Fi Planet

Is the muni-WiFi market headed for a shakeout?

Mon, 07 May 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Is the muni-WiFi market beginning a shakeout? In recent weeks we've seen a number of companies changing their tune about the muni-WiFi market. It looks like the days when vendors gave a muni-WiFi network to cities for free in exchange for selling Internet access to their constituents are fading fast.

Airport Infrastructure Management, which agreed last year to install and operate a seven square-mile wireless network across Wilkes-Barre, PA at no cost to the city, has now asked the city to put up a $1.25 million loan if subscriber uptake falls below projections and the company defaults on the debt.

MetroFi says it's no longer planning to offer free public WiFi in newly contracted cities that won't commit to minimum municipal service purchases. And Earthlink, suffering from steep losses at its MVNO joint venture Helio, revealed it is pulling back on its muni-WiFi business to focus on its existing contracts and larger cities for the rest of the year.

It's another realization that the business case for muni-WiFi networks doesn't revolve around offering universal Web access to constituents. Rather the emerging successful muni-WiFi plans center on creating greater cost savings for cities. There are already too many examples of poor consumer uptake of WiFi services. More than a year ago, the city of Taipei in Taiwan launched a city-wide WiFi system in a bid to create a "cyber city," but the number of subscribers is less than anticipated. Portland's experiment with universal wireless Internet access was launched with much fanfare late last year, but many residents say the network does not deliver on its promise.

These changes should be a wake-up call for many municipalities who may find themselves in the same position as Wilkes-Barre--looking for that rare vendor willing to bank on revenues from Internet access to residents in exchange for a free network. It's also a wakeup call for many vendors who flocked to the space hoping for a new cash-cow business.

Municipalities can no longer expect a free ride with WiFi, and vendors and operators can no longer have the "if we build it, they will come mentality." A lot more thought and planning must go into a muni-WiFi project in order to make the service justifiable, whether that's generating revenue or working to save taxpayers money by making government workers more efficient. We are entering a new era that takes a lot more thought when it comes to muni-WiFi. And municipalities have entered the point of no return as WiFi becomes a key public-policy strategy. They simply must get into the game and partner with muni-WiFi companies.--Lynnette

P.S. We just added Scott Richardson, CSO of Clearwire to our lineup of keynote speakers at our WiMAX Strategies conference in Chicago June 21. Richardson will join our stellar lineup of speakers from across the WiMAX ecosystem that includes Barry West, CTO and president of 4G Mobile Broadband at Sprint Nextel. Check out the agenda here: http://www.wimaxstrategies2007.com

Portland's WiFi network passes engineering tests

Sun, 15 Apr 2007 20:01:34 -0400

Portland's controversial WiFi project passed engineering tests, paving the way for the system's builder, MetroFi, to expand the network, which has come under scrutiny for its lack of indoor coverage. Many residents say the network does not deliver on its promise. MetroFi's prediction: "People that are using the network regularly are liking it and using it more and more," Adrian van Haaften, MetroFi's vice president of marketing, told The Oregonian. "My anticipation is that there's a lot of pent-up interest in the network." MetroFi's deal with Portland called for the company to build a network that covers 95 percent of the city by mid-2008, offer free Internet access, provide downloads above 1 Mbps and that is supported by advertising.

For more about Portland's plans to expand its WiFi network:
- read this article from The Oregonian

Wireless Silicon Valley project officially launched

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:01:34 -0500

You would think that bringing WiFi to Silicon Valley would be like, say, bringing coal to Newcastle or tea to China. The fact is, things have not been that easy or smooth for the Wireless Silicon Valley project. Could be that this is changing, as last Friday, several Valley big hitters signed a gold-colored wireless Internet transmitter as part of an elaborate launching ceremony for the project. It is an ambitious project, too: aiming to one of the largest hot zones in the world, stretching from Santa Cruz County to Alameda County, and covering most of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. If plans unfold on schedule and on budget--and the "if" should be the size of the Hollywood sign on top of Mount Lee--then every city within that area will have free WiFi access.

The organization behind the project is Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, an association of cities and business leaders in the region. It is finalizing an agreement which the 40 cities in the Valley can sign with Silicon Valley Metro Connect, a consortium led by IBM and Cisco Systems. Metro Connect won a competitive bid to offer the regional wireless service. The service will be paid for by advertising to individual customers and subscription fees paid by government agencies and organizations such as hospitals which want the use the premium service.

For more on the Wireless Silicon Valley Project
- see Will Oremus's Palo Alto Daily News report
- the project's Web site
- and this press release

ALSO: Mountain View-based MetroFi was hoping to make Concord the first East Bay city to have a muni-WiFi network, but the project got off to a rocky start. Report

ALSO NOTED: Hawking Hi-Gain Mini USB Adapter reviewed; D-Link launches RANGEBOOSTER N 650 series; and much more...

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:01:31 -0500

> Laptop Magazine has nothing but praise for the Hawking Hi-Gain Mini USB Adapter HWU54DM. Report

> D-Link has launched its RANGEBOOSTER N 650 series. The figure "650" denotes that devices in the series are 650 percent faster--and that their range is 5 times longer--than 802.11g gear. Report

> Speaking of D-Link: The company is also showing its DIR-450/ DIR-451/ DIR-452 Wireless 3G Mobile Routers. Report

>MetroFi is bringing WiFi to Portland, OR. Report

> A state-sponsored network of WiFi hot spots is about to grow and also could lure travelers into South Dakota's small towns. Report

> i-mate is showing a new pocket PC phone with WiFi. Review

> A trend? Remember that Canadian college where WiFi was banned for health reasons? Other schools, this time in the U.K., follow suit. Report

> Irish-American businessman Daniel Toomey has selected Dublin as a base for his Free-hotspot.com company; he hopes to use it to launch hundreds of hotspots across Europe. Report

> Speaking of Dublin: The Labor Party's spokesperson on communications Tommy Broughan has called for Dublin's city center to be made into a public access wireless broadband zone. Report

> Intel has received clearance for its wireless component of its upcoming "Santa Rosa" platform. Santa Rosa is scheduled for launch in Q2 of next year, and it will include the main chipset "Crestline" and the WiFi link "Kedron," Intel's first 802.11n-capable network chip. Report

> Alcatel will run 802.16e trials in Lebanon. Report

And finally... If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is a digital picture worth? A timely question, as eStarling offers a WiFi-enabled digital photo frame. Review

Bumpy start for Portland's muni-WiFi

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 20:01:35 -0400

A few months ago the city of Portland, OR unveiled its plan for metro-WiFi with much fanfare. It has been a bumpy road, though, as several problems combined to make the launch of the ambitious project less than smooth (ambitious, because the city said the system would offer WiFi coverage for 95 percent of the city). First, negotiations between local utilities and MetroFi, the provider with which the city has signed the WiFi agreement, have stalled. At issue: How much should Portland General Electric charge MetroFi for the power the WiFi antennas consume. Second, the city hoped that the system would help it save manpower costs and generate additional revenue by collecting data from automated parking meters in the downtown area. It now appears that the system will not be able to do that.

MetroFi said it would invest about $10 million of its own money to set up this privately funded network, and that it will recoup its investment and make money by selling 1-inch banner ads which would scroll across the screen as a user logs on to the system. The antennas will be placed on top of utility poles and public buildings.

For more on Portland's WiFi:
- see this report

PLUS: Read this detailed and useful article by Barbara Grady on the state of muni-WiFi. Article

ALSO: Google is partnering with EarthLink to offer WiFi to San Francisco, so the BBC's Katie Fehrenbacher wanted see for herself how the company-supported WiFi system works in the company's own back yard. To find out, she drove to Mountain View, CA and filed this report.

MetroWiFi, AT&T join to offer muni-Wifi

Mon, 24 Jul 2006 20:01:37 -0400

Politics make for strange bedfellows, but so also, it seems, does muni-WiFi. CNet News.com reports that Sunnyvale, CA-based start-up MetroFi, one of the three leading muni-WiFi operators, is partnering with the venerable AT&T to bid on the 65-square-mile Riverside, CA network. Note that the Riverside bid talks about offering only 512 Kbps downstream at no cost, compared with all the other MetroFi's bids and operations, which offer customers 1 Mbps downstream. That higher rate will be available from AT&T at $20 per month (upstream rates are paltry 256 Kbps in both cases; most paid services offer 1 Mbps symmetrical).

Now, the Riverside bid is only the beginning of what may well be a wonderful relationship. The bigger news is that MetroWiFi, in what must be considered a major coup for the company, is teaming with AT&T Enterprise Services division to design and operate metro-WiFi in several cities. MetroWiFi is already working on building networks in Portland, OR, and San Jose, CA.

For more on the MetroWiFi-AT&T move:
- check out Marguerite Reardon's CNet News.com report
- and Om Malik's discussion

MORE: FCW's John Pulley offers a useful taking-stock discussion of the state of muni-WiFi.

ALSO NOTED: First also noted headline; second headline; and much more...

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 20:00:50 -0400

> SkyPilot Networks and MetroWiFi will collaborate on building out a wireless network in Foster City, California. Santa Clara-based SkyPilot, a provider of carrier-class broadband wireless mesh networks, and Mountain View-based MetroFi have already collaborated on eight muni-WiFi networks. Report.

> RSan Mateo, California-based real-time locating systems (RTLS) provider AeroScout is showing a new solution targeted at the mining industry. Designed to improve the safety of miners, it was codeveloped with Australian company Mine Site Technologies (MST), which specializes in mining communication company in Australia. The new solution combines AeroScout's WiFi-based active RFID product with MST's Integrated Communications Cap Lamp. Report.

> Samsung is showing its new OfficeServ IP-centric WLAN Solution for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs). Press release.

> WILIBOX is showing its WILI MESH - OSI layer 2 wireless mesh software platform which enables hardware vendors to provide single-to-multiple radio wireless mesh solutions for municipality, WISP, campus, and enterprise networks. Report.

And finally...Australia leads the world in distance swimming events, and now it leads the world in broadband wireless: We note the launch of major subscription TV operator AUSTAR's wireless broadband network in one of Australia's major regional cities -- Wagga Wagga. The launch means Australia now has three Navini-based pre-Mobile WiMAX networks which will ultimately be interoperable. Report.

Calif. city goes WiFi, waits for wireless project

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 20:01:34 -0400

Foster City, CA, will likely contract Mountain View, CA-based MetroFi, a four-year old start-up, to roll out a metro-wide WiFi network in the city. WiFi transmitters could be installed by October on 100 streetlight poles if the city council approves the contract. MetroWiFi has already installed city-wide WiFi networks in Aurora, IL, and Santa Clara, Cupertino and Sunnyvale, CA. The company has also been selected by Portland, OR, to install muni-WiFi in that city (where it beat EarthLink to the city-wide contract). Foster City will be MetroFi's first customer in San Mateo County.

MetroFi will pay $36 per light pole per year to the city. It also agreed to ensure that around 95 percent of all land parcels in Foster City's 4 sq. mi. will have outdoor access without the need for additional equipment. "Everyone can get a good connection even if you're 1,000 feet away from one of our access points," said Chuck Haas, MetroFi CEO and co-founder. Connections will be stronger for some than others. A laptop generally only receives a strong signal from transmitters no more than 300 feet away. Haas responds by saying that up to half of Foster City's houses will be within 300 feet of one of the 100 APs. For others, an Ethernet or USB high-gain wireless adapter may be needed to enhance reception indoors. In the worst cases, such as a condo blocked by a tall building or a house surrounded by heavy trees, an external antenna might be needed, which MetroFi can install.

MetroFi will make its money on ads which appear in a bar when the service is used for free. If a customer is willing to pay a $19.95 monthly subscription fee, there will be no ads showing. The company also earns money from cities which use the APs to conduct city business in a mobile fashion. MetroFi will provide five evaluation licenses for Foster City to try it out. Foster City's staff in the public works, parks and recreation, and fire departments will, on a trial basis, file reports and complete paperwork from the field using PDAs. The city will evaluate whether this procedure saves time and effort relative to coming back to the office and doing the paperwork there.

Foster City officials say that they do not see the metro WiFi program competing with the Wireless Silicon Valley Project, a high-speed wireless network to connect more than 1.5 million residents over 1,500 sq. mi. in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz and Alameda counties. MetroFi has indicated that it would be interested in bidding on the Wireless Silicon Valley Project and that its networks could be integrated into the wireless project as it takes shape.

Other cities within the planned Wireless Silicon Valley Project area have also launched local WiFi networks ahead of the larger project. Pacifica is negotiating a contract with Menlo Park, CA-based WiFi provider Veraloft. That company also owns half of Coastside Net, an all-types Internet provider in Half Moon Bay, and is working with the non-profit project Community Wireless to build a WiFi network for businesses and homes in East Palo Alto, CA. The reason for cities going ahead on their own is simple: The RFPs on the Wireless Silicon Valley Project will not be released until the fall and with 30-some government agencies involved in the approval process, that process is not going to be quick.

For more on Foster City's plans:
- see Rebekah Gordon's Inside Bay Area report
For more on MetroWiFi's Portland plans:
- see Ed Oswald's BetaNews article

PLUS: Not as grand as Google and EarthLink's venture to blanket San Francisco in free WiFi, and not as ambitious as the Wireless Silicon Valley Project, but still: Denver unveiled a free wireless network in its downtown area on Monday. Report

ALSO NOTED: Firetide, AWA roll out commercial WLAN in Spain; MetroFi to offer free WiFi in the Valley; and much more...

Tue, 31 Jan 2006 19:00:50 -0500

> Mesh networking specialist Firetide and Spanish WLAN operator AWA will roll out commercial WLAN and mesh networks for voice and data services in Spain. Release

> Mountain View, CA-based MetroFi will offer free WiFi connections across multiple Silicon Valley cities. Report

> Dunedin's bid to lead Florida cities into the world of universal wireless Internet access appeared to have crashed a few days ago but has just been revived. Article

And Finally... You use your WiFi-enabled PDA to follow the score of a football game, but just as the game reaches its climax in a goal-line stand with one minute to go, your screen goes blank and you receive the dreaded message: "WiFi dead zone." The solution? AuraGrid WLAN expansion kit.