The hit or miss efforts of cities to deliver citywide wireless networks has its latest case study: the city of Riverside in the Inland Empire of California is considering an effort to shut down or downsize its 2007 network.
Riverside launched a citywide wireless network to great promise in May 2007, reports Alicia Robinson: “The intent was to blanket 95 percent of the city with free, basic Internet access.”
“Now officials say the network never reached more than 66 percent the city and is nearly obsolete.”
The future of wireless access in Riverside is open to several choices: “keep the network going as is with an outside contractor, bring maintenance of the network in-house, build a new network or reduce service to hotspots at public city facilities.”
Read the full story: RIVERSIDE: Council could unplug citywide Wi-Fi
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