IP Democracy: Local Firm Proposes Citywide WiFi in Milwaukee

Muniwireless reports that:

“Milwaukee officials will announce today that a local company plans to invest between $20 million and $25 million in creating a citywide wireless computer network, which would put the city at the forefront of a national push to create such systems,” says the Journal Sentinel.

The Milwaukee newspaper says:

Midwest Fiber Networks would construct the system at no cost to taxpayers - a key selling point for the cash-strapped city. The firm and its partners could even end up paying the city money to lease space in the city-owned underground conduit system. Officials could also seek free wireless access in all parks or housing projects as part of the arrangement.

Midwest Fiber Networks would not provide the Internet service. Rather, it would build the infrastructure and then sell air time to firms that provide Internet access…”We think we’re in a better position here because there’s a head start on the infrastructure,” said firm partner Nik Ivancevic, citing the firm’s investment in fiber-optic cables in the city.

Midwest Fiber is a 4-year-old firm, born in the high-tech incubator at the Milwaukee County research park. It has about 70 employees. Firm officials said they are in negotiation with other Wisconsin cities for such wireless networks. It was partnered with AOL in Madison to create the system there, but that system stalled when AOL pulled out of the project.

Posted by Mitch Shapiro on October 15, 2005 8:56 PM to IP Democracy