San Francisco Mayor Promises Free Wi-Fi for All

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has a plan: to bring free wireless Internet access to the city.

"We will not stop until every San Franciscan has access to free wireless Internet service," he said in his state of the city address. "We are also developing plans to bring wireless technologies and free computers to our affordable housing developments and community centers throughout San Francisco. These technologies will connect our residents to the skills and the jobs of this new economy."

As part of his initiative to bridge the digital divide, Newsom outlined his plan to provide the free Internet access by setting up a network of wireless Internet access points throughout the city.

Conventional Internet access (such as DSL or cable connections) requires a physical connection -- a phone line or cable TV hook-up -- and a modem that transmits and receives the signal. Wireless Internet access uses radio signals and a wireless networking standard called Wi-Fi, providing Internet access within range of the access point (usually up to a hundred feet away) to anybody with a Wi-Fi-equipped PC. Because Wi-Fi doesn't require cables, it's much easier for users to get Internet access. Most notebook PCs now include built-in WiFi and it costs around $50 to add a card to a desktop PC, less if you purchase one through TechSoup Stock. .

San Francisco's Grand Plan

At present, the network is only available in a few locations (Union Square, Portsmouth Square, Civic Center, and the Ferry Building), on a test basis. This pilot project has been organized with San Francisco's Department of Telecommunications and Information Services (DTIS) and a group of local wireless companies, including UnwireNow and Terabeam Wireless .

Newsom has asked the DTIS to look into using Wi-Fi broadband services throughout San Francisco, but we were unable to get any comment from the city on the timescale for this or which parts of the city will be included in the plan.

"The Mayor's Office continues to develop and refine its strategy for the project," said Darlene C. Chiu, Deputy Communications Director in the Mayor's Office. "We will first target the areas mentioned in the Mayor's State of the City Address and then expand the service appropriately." The timescale for this expansion is rather vague, though: "Implementation timeframes are under development," said Chiu.

SFLAN, a volunteer community nonprofit group that runs a free wireless network program in San Francisco using a donated Internet connection provides a free connection for anybody to use. SFLAN is planning to work with the city to get involved with Mayor Newsom's project, but the group has not made any announcements on how this will happen. "We are talking and making some progress," said Ralf Muehlen, one of the administrators who runs the network. "But there is very little concrete I can point to yet." The group also welcomes nonprofit groups that want to use their service: details of how to connect to their network are on their Web site.

Wi-Fi Bridges Divide

Dana Spiegel, a director of NYCwireless.net , thinks the benefits of free wireless Internet access will be far-reaching. "A successful, widely available, free or very low cost Urban Wi-Fi network will have a great impact on nonprofits in the San Francisco area," she said. "Such a project has the possibility of bridging the digital divide by bringing the Internet to areas and communities that cannot afford its currently high price or are not served by existing telecom companies. Also, such a network can provide all organizations -- non- and for-profit alike -- high-speed Internet connections throughout the city, enabling commerce, entertainment, community, and research in ways never before possible."

Free Wi-Fi has helped nonprofits in other cities, like New York, where the NYCWireless.net network has been used by a wide range of nonprofit groups, including the Spectropolis art festival and Community Access , a group that installs wireless hotspots in underserved areas of NYC.

"[The initiative] means that some wireless-oriented nonprofit groups in S.F. may not need to worry about fulfilling their missions, especially if they can coordinate their efforts with the city," Richard MacKinnon, president of Austin Wireless , said. "On the other hand, they may find themselves in competition with the City, or vice versa, if they don't see eye to eye."

Wi-Fi Across the U.S.

Cities like Austin and New York have volunteer-run wireless networks that offer free Internet access, and these have been a big plus for nonprofit groups.

"I think widespread implementation of free/very low cost Wi-Fi networks is a wonderful aim, especially for cities," said Spiegel. "NYC has benefited immensely from our work in establishing one of the largest free wireless networks in the world."

MacKinnon also welcomes the initiative. "I think it's a great goal, and I'm eager to see how [Newsom] goes about it."

But Telecom companies in fear of losing business have stalled some city's efforts to build their own Wi-Fi networks. For instance, Philadelphia's plan to build its own wireless network was delayed, as reported in this CNET article Philly, Verizon reach accord on city Wi-Fi plan . The project will continue, but only if the local government submits a written request to the local phone company, and if the phone company refuses to offer service.

Other states are considering similar anti-municipal broadband laws: Indiana, for instance, is considering a law that could prohibit cities from, "controlling, owning, or operating" Internet service for their residents, even though several cities in the state already provide service because telecom companies wouldn't build networks there. This story Indiana introduces anti-municipal broadband bill on MuniWireless.com provides more details.

The city of Long Beach has also been offering free wireless Internet access in its downtown area for some time, and officials claim the program has been a great success. "It's going really well," said Chris Dalton, a Community Information Specialist for the city.

They have had plenty of users on the network, according to Dalton, with a combination of locals and visitors using the free Internet access. Nonprofit groups have also benefited, including an after-school program called CORAL, where the students used the free Internet access for research and to produce their own Web sites and short films .

Although the Internet access in Long Beach has been widely used, the city has no immediate plans to expand it. "We have had a number of users asking for expansion of the network," said Dalton. "We are talking about it, but it's still in the planning stage."

Whether free Wi-Fi programs will continue to grow and run in San Francisco, Long Beach, Philadelphia, and other cities around the United States depends largely on reaction from local providers and the support of cities and nonprofit groups to help make the programs a reality.