What Can Muni Wi-Fi Do for Your Biz? Tune in to the opportunities citywide Wi-Fi projects bring.
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Big changes are in the air in Philadelphia--literally--as a massive municipal Wi-Fi project gets underway. In a partnership with Earthlink, the citywide initiative will cover 135 square miles by fall 2007. It will be a milestone in the development of municipal Wi-Fi. "Deployments have gone from very small, rural towns that don't have DSL or cable to very large, citywide or countywide deployments," says Esme Vos, founder of MuniWireless.com
Other major cities such as Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston and San Francisco are in varying stages of municipal wireless projects. This trend can affect growing businesses on several levels. Vos says that regional and small ISPs have an opportunity to be active in the municipal wireless market. "A larger number of players can compete and bring down the cost of broadband," she says.
On another level, these projects can offer low-cost broadband for businesses. Access to the Philadelphia network is expected to cost about $20 per month. "It makes it so much easier for small businesses to compete with large companies," says Vos. It can also enhance mobile access for entrepreneurs.
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