MuniWireless

Reading the US mainstream press gives you the impression that deployments of municipal wireless networks came to a complete halt when EarthLink pulled out of the business. While it’s true that the rush to deploy municipal wireless in the US has died down, the opposite is happening in Asia - especially China - where cities are rolling out large-scale Wi-Fi networks in partnership with local carriers. The latest city to announce the completion of a municipal wireless network is Hangzhou…

CONXX, the communications provider behind AllCoNet in Allegany County, Maryland, will begin charging for Wi-Fi access to the Cumberland wireless network. Monthly fees will range between $16 and $20, daily fees between $5 and $7. CONXX also expects residents who have trouble getting connectivity indoors to purchase hardware that amplifies the wireless signals.

The Cumberland wireless network is not typical of municipal wireless broadband networks we’ve seen deployed in many US communities. For one, it’s only a small part of a…