IP Democracy: Earthlink Wi-Fi: A New Force in Broadband Access?

Less than a month after being chosen to build and operate a 135-square-mile citywide Wi-Fi network in Philadelphia, Earthlink has secured a second municipal Wi-Fi contract, this time in Anaheim, CA, the home of Disneyland and a major convention center.

According to an Earthlink press release announcing the Anaheim contract, the ISP “will deploy Tropos Networks’ MetroMesh Wi-Fi routers on light poles throughout the city.” In phase one, it will construct a two-square-mile proof-of-concept area for testing and analysis, with the remainder of the Anaheim network to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2006. A similar two-phase approach is planned for the Philadelphia network, which Earthlink also plans to have fully operational by 4Q06.

Earthlink’s press release announcing the Philadelphia contract said the ISP would finance the project without any city or taxpayer dollars, and would provide a portion of revenues to support the Wireless Philadelphia Non-Profit Corporation. Earthlink also said it “anticipates retail rates to be approximately $20.00 per month” and a “digital inclusion” program that will offer qualifying low-income residents discounted access at rates of $10/mo.

Earthlink, which has struggled to secure wholesale access to cable and telco broadband networks on terms it finds economically attractive, has said that, in both cities, its network will provide “open access for multiple, competing service providers.” It will be interesting to see what kind of terms it actually ends up offering to competing ISPs and if any of them take Earthlink up on its offer.

Posted by Mitch Shapiro on October 28, 2005 2:07 PM to IP Democracy