Philadelphia Wi-Fi Net at Crossroads

PHILADELPHIA WI-FI NET AT CROSSROADS
[SOURCE: Broadband-today.com, AUTHOR: Mark Rockwell]
The departure of one of the key proponents behind the City of Philadelphia's municipal Wi-Fi network, as well as big WiMAX plans from a notable wireless player, could reshape that landmark project, say experts. In mid-August, Dianah Neff, the city's chief information officer, announced that she was moving to Wi-Fi consultancy Civitium to spread the gospel of municipal Wi-Fi worldwide. Neff was hired by Philadelphia Mayor John Street as the city's chief information officer in 2001, and was instrumental, if not key, in getting the project off the ground at a time when Wi-Fi wasn't exactly a household word. In 2004, she faced tough opposition from incumbent wireline company Verizon, which said it didn't want to compete with cities for broadband customers. Earlier in the month, Sprint Nextel announced plans to build the first nationwide mobile WiMAX network, possibly opening up a larger, ubiquitous wireless broadband market that could partially overlap municipal Wi-Fi nets. The political climate also could affect how the Philadelphia network installation goes, says Craig Settles, president of Successful, a Wi-Fi industry consultancy. The city faces a mayoral election this November -- an awkward time for the network, he says. If incumbent Philadelphia Mayor John Street, who backed the plan, loses, the project faces the prospect of being neglected or worse, depending on a new mayor's opinion of the project, Settles says.
http://www.broadband-today.com/article/CA6372038.html?nid=2908