By Teresa von Fuchs
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Chicago has scrapped a plan to build out a city-wide Wi-Fi network, saying that the plan was too costly and too few residents would use it.
"We realized - after much consideration - that we needed to re-evaluate our approach to provide universal and affordable access to high-speed Internet as part of the city's broader digital inclusion efforts," Chicago's CIO, Hardik Bhatt, said in a statement.
The plan, announced early last year, was to blanket 228 square miles of the city with wireless Internet access, with city leaders saying they hoped to become one of the largest cities to offer city-wide Wi-Fi.
Instead, the city has come up against financing and infrastructure issues, while in talks with private sector partners including EarthLink.
The city also is considering whether Wi-Fi technology is even the best option for a wide area wireless network. "Given the rapid pace of changing technology, in just two short years, the marketplace has altered significantly," Bhatt said in a statement.
Chicago is one of the first markets where Sprint Nextel plans to roll out its WiMAX network services. Though not a city-sponsored initiative, WiMAX could be a more viable option for a citywide network.