Citywide Wi-Fi Plans Abandoned In St. Louis

Joining the ranks of other major American cities like Chicago, San Francisco and Houston, St. Louis has lost its bid to build a citywide wi-fi network. AT&T cites high costs as it pulls out.

1 minute read

October 28, 2007, 1:00 PM PDT

By Nate Berg


"After months of delays, AT&T said Friday that it will scrap its plans to provide free wireless Internet access across the entire city. The network is just too expensive to build."

"Instead, it will a build a pilot project over one square mile of downtown and keep an eye on the fast-changing field of municipal Wi-Fi, a promising technology that's captured the imagination of cities nationwide but fallen flat in almost every one."

"AT&T and St. Louis officials spent 18 months negotiating before reaching a deal in February to connect the city's 62 square miles over the next two years. The company was to provide free wireless Internet service to anyone for 20 hours a month, then charge for more or higher speeds. Aside from giving access to light poles, there was no cost to the city, though it planned to spend about $400,000 a year to buy access to a special public-service network it would use for police and other city services."

"But in the months since the deal was signed, AT&T engineers wrestled with a thorny problem: they couldn't find a cost-effective way to get power to the network of transmitters - likely 50 per square mile - that would carry the signal."

Friday, October 26, 2007 in St. Louis Post-Dispatch

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Adult holding hands of two children, all wearing winter coats, in crosswalk in New York City during holidays with trees decorated with lights in background.

Pedestrian Deaths Drop, Remain Twice as High as in 2009

Fatalities declined by 4 percent in 2024, but the U.S. is still nowhere close to ‘Vision Zero.’

30 minutes ago - Streetsblog USA

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents

The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

July 11 - Real Change

Aerial view of suburban housing near Las Vegas, Nevada.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing

Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

July 11 - Shelterforce Magazine