Google and EarthLink Seek Next Wi-Fi City
CIO News' Al Sacco today picks up on a report in the Wall Street Journal that Google and EarthLink are already looking beyond their recent success in capturing San Francisco's Wi-Fi contract. They're now planning a joint bid for a second city, using a plan that would provide less free access than is currently expected in San Francisco.
"Though the companies have not decided on a specific city, they plan to offer a network that would be largely supported by users who pay roughly $20 a month for Internet access," Sacco writes. "That service would be four to five times faster than the service offered to all city residents by Google, free of charge, The Journal reports. The Google service would provide access to its ad-supported search service and a number of local websites, and would contain technology that blocks non-subscriber access."