Does LA need free Wi-Fi?

[Commentary] The Los Angeles City Council is rushing to revive an idea it left for dead four years ago: creating a broadband network that provides free wireless Internet access throughout the city.

The council instructed city technology officials to draft an invitation for contractors to bid on the project. But before the council gets too enamored with the idea of free Wi-Fi for all, it needs to take a hard look at how best to bring broadband access to those who need it most. There's no shortage of broadband in the city. The right response isn't necessarily to build a network covering the entire city -- including neighborhoods and commercial areas that are already well served. Nor does providing free broadband automatically close the digital divide; people also need computers and the skills to use them. Thankfully, the council hasn't committed to any particular approach or technology. Instead, it simply instructed the Information Technology Agency to come up with a request for proposals that might entice a vendor to "build out ... some level of free broadband service to all city residents." Ideally, the city will identify where the real gaps are in connectivity, then attract partners in the telecommunications industry to fill them. But it's not enough just to offer private operators money-saving access to the city's utility poles and conduits; the city's plan has to enable its partners to cover the cost of running and maintaining the network for years to come. If it can't meet those thresholds, then the new plan seems destined to meet the same fate as the old one.