MuniWireless

Milpitas is negotiating an agreement with a non-profit organization to bring free citywide Wi-Fi service covering 10 square miles with a potential 7000 users per month. The organization called Silicon Valley Unwired will include Google, I-Net Solutions, the city of Milpitas, and several wireless manufacturers. EarthLink had deployed a network in Milpitas but terminated service after the company closed down its municipal wireless business. The wireless nodes, however, remain mounted on city property. As a result, the new network operator…

Two ISPs, Veraloft and I-Net Solutions, are bidding to operate the Milpitas, California municipal Wi-Fi network that EarthLink abandoned several months ago. The city acquired the network for $800,000 and was planning to use it for municipal purposes only. However, this month, the city put out a bid seeking a provider to operate the network and provide public access. Two firms responded: Veraloft (provides Wi-Fi access in Half Moon Bay and Pacifica) and i-Net (Google’s partner in Moutain View). Read…

The city council of Milpitas, California voted unanimously to take the city’s muni Wi-Fi network back from EarthLink. The city will use the network for municipal use only. The police department has been using a municipal Wi-Fi network since 2004.

The city plans to provide public Internet access at the city council chambers, sports and community centers, but not citywide. The network assets are valued at approximately $800,000, some of which the city is planning to sell. The annual cost of…

Milpitas has joined the exclusive club of cities that signed deals with EarthLink and are now saddled with networks that they (or their new partners) must run. Milpitas is paying nothing for the network, as is Corpus Christi, but at some point they’ve got to decide what to do with it and what, if any, they’re willing to pay for upkeep. This isn’t such a problem for cities that do have a plan.

Clarity replaced confusion today in the municipal broadband market, as dozens of public safety officials and broadband experts gathered in Santa Clara to discuss mobile applications that can enhance public safety.

Instead of talking theory, public safety gurus from across the country described fully functional applications during a MuniWireless 2007: Silicon Valley pre-conference workshop.

What a difference a year makes. Back in October 2006, many industry watchers — MuniWireless included — focused on digital inclusion as a driving force for municipal broadband.…