Wi-Fi Fever

The biggest challenge to deploying citywide wireless networks may be moderating expectations. Many residents of the networks already built in St. Cloud and Tempe, for example, were surprised to learn that indoor access was weak unless they bought a device costing about $100 to amplify the signal. Connectivity on the top floors of high-rises and on the fringes of the coverage area is also problematic—not a message many mayors are broadcasting. "We have to be very careful with setting expectations, because this is not going to work smoothly right out of the box," says Seth Fearey of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a nonprofit which is organizing a multicity Wi-Fi network in the high-tech region.

Donald Berryman, the executive vice president at Earthlink who is spearheading the company's muni Wi-Fi initiatives, says he expects citywide Wi-Fi to work much like mobile phone networks did in their early years. "You had limited service within your city and got charged high roaming fees, and it dropped off a lot. Even today you don't have 100 percent coverage," Berryman says. "This will move more rapidly than that did. We will find some models that work well, and they will have to get fleshed out."

Until that happens, companies like Earthlink, along with America's mayors, must pare back on their promises. But for some citizens, even limited muni Wi-Fi can be a delight. Jennifer Perez, a college student in Philadelphia, can't afford pricey broadband, but she happens to live in one of the three neighborhoods where the city conducted trials of its network last year. Even though the wireless doesn't quite work inside her apartment, whenever she needs to get online, she simply takes her laptop and wanders down to the nearby public park. While that's not exactly convenient, she loves the free access. America's mayors can only hope there will be more satisfied surfers like Perez.

With Jessica Bennett in New York

© 2006