Many thanks to Torsten for this one -- according to the Associate Press, "Seventeen cities in San Mateo county have decided to join an initiative to provide all of their residents broadband wireless access for free."

It's part of an initiative called Smart Valley, which is being run by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network and the San Mateo County Telecommunications Authority. The aim is to create a "broadband canopy" covering a 1,500 square mile area throughout Silicon Valley.

According to Reuters, the eventual plan is "to embrace various wireless technologies, from Wi-Fi short-range networks to wide-area WiMAX and other techniques under one umbrella that will give residents of the region wireless coverage from home to work and around town."

But it's not just for residents -- a Joint Venture press release says the network is also targeted at helping government employees monitor "crime scenes, fire locations, traffic signals, sewer pumps and water lines, and even wireless parking meters that dramatically reduce maintenance costs."