![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/bospan.jpg\")
Boston will tap a nonprofit corporation
\n to blanket the city with “open access”; wireless Internet connections,
\n under a plan to be unveiled today by Mayor Thomas M. Menino.<\/p>\n
The plan, which envisions raising $16 million to $20 million from local businesses
\nand foundations, is a striking departure from the business models used by other
\ncities, including Philadelphia and San Francisco, which have turned over responsibility
\nfor their wireless data networks to outside companies such as Earthlink Inc.
\nand Google Inc.<\/p>\n
By empowering an independent organization to own and operate the city’s WiFi,
\nor wireless fidelity, network, Boston is hoping to keep control of the technology
\ndeployment and use it to spur innovation, improve city services, and extend wireless
\nInternet access into low-income neighborhoods across the so-called digital divide.
\nWiFi allows laptops, handheld computers, cellphones, music players, and other
\ndevices to connect to the Internet at high speeds via radio waves.<\/p>\n
“They want to create a wholesale network and open it up for entrepreneurs to
\nbuild all kinds of applications on top of it,” said Jim Daniell , a Boston
\nventure capitalist who tracks wireless development around the country. “If this
\nmodel works, it will probably become the dominant pattern other municipalities
\nadopt. It could be a blueprint.”<\/p>\n
from the Boston Globe<\/a><\/p>\n We’ll believe it when we log on. These stories have Boston will tap a nonprofit corporation to blanket the city with “open access”; wireless Internet connections, under a plan to be unveiled today by Mayor Thomas M. Menino. The plan, which envisions raising $16 million to $20 million from local … Continue reading
\n been popping up like lawsuits all over the country, but from what we
\n have seen, all vaporware so far…..<\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"