EarthLink chosen to implement wireless

Philadelphia's plans to go wireless took a step forward yesterday as Atlanta-based Internet service provider EarthLink was selected to establish the citywide network.

"I think we were selected because our proposal made the most sense to [the Wireless Philadelphia Executive Committee] in terms of the value we could bring technically," EarthLink Director of Next Generation Broadband Cole Reinwand said.

Under the agreement, EarthLink will build and manage a wireless network spanning the entire geographic boundaries of the city of Philadelphia, which at 135 square miles will be the largest municipal wireless fidelity network in the nation.

EarthLink will bear the entire cost of deploying the network -- previously estimated at between $15 and $20 million. In addition to providing for other Internet service providers to use the network, EarthLink will also share part of its revenue with the Philadelphia community.

The details of the agreement have yet to be finalized.

"This is a true private-public partnership," Philadelphia Chief Information Officer Dianah Neff said. "The private sector is taking on the risk of developing the infrastructure and providing us with revenue we need to conduct our digital divide social program" -- the goal of which is to to provide 10,000 computers with education and training to low-income households in Philadelphia at no cost.

Neff anticipates that it will take about 60 days for the city to finalize its contract with EarthLink and that construction should begin immediately upon its signing.

The network will be deployed in phases, with the first 15-mile "proof of concept" area -- the location of which is still undecided -- scheduled to be ready within a year. Upon completion of testing, the network will be extended to the rest of the city and should be ready for public access before the end of 2006.

Construction should occur with minimum disruption to the city -- wireless devices will be mounted on street-light poles using cherry-picker trucks.

"One of the beauties of deploying wireless is that there's no tearing up the streets." Neff said. "It's minimally invasive technology."

Once completed, the wireless network should provide a low-cost, high-speed alternative to current Internet services. Neff estimates that with the multiple-ISP model, charges for use of the network will be roughly $20 per month -- with a special discount rate of $10 for low-income households.

"Based on our studies of networks deployed in other areas, we think it will be highly competitive in terms of stability and connection speed," Reinwand said.

All that will be needed to connect is a standard wireless card that works with all compatible computers, phones and personal digital assistants.

Additionally, Wireless Philadelphia will work with EarthLink to provide free access to the wireless network in certain "hot spots" around the city, including most major public parks.

The pervasiveness of the technology should help provide Internet access to the 125,000 households in Philadelphia that do not have it today. Neff estimates the Internet penetration rate in Philadelphia to be 58 percent -- compared to a national average of close to 70 percent, according to marketing research firm Nielsen. Most of those with Internet access have slower, dial-up connections.

EarthLink is already in negotiation with several other American cities to deploy similar wireless networks.

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