EarthLink announced today that it has finalized its plans with the city of Philadelphia to provide wireless Internet service at low costs. The final plan sees EarthLink owning and managing the network while charging a wholesale rate of $9 per month to service providers that would then resell it to the public. EarthLink's owning of the network is a turnabout from the city's original proposal and most muni-WiFi plans that preceded it. The original idea was for the local government to own the network. EarthLink will carry the cost to build the network blanketing 135 sq.mi. The contract will go before the city council in February, then EarthLink will build a 15-sq.mi. test area. If successful, the citywide network should launch by Spring of next year.
For more on EarthLink's Philly WiFi plans:
- see this piece from The Washington Post
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