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Philadelphia Signs Wireless Internet Contracts with EarthLink

6:00 am on March 2, 2006 | Category: Business, Web Services

The city of Philadelphia announced yesterday that it has signed for agreements with EarthLink and Wireless Philadelphia, officially paving the way for EarthLink to begin building a citywide wireless network.

All that needs to be done now is for the City Council to approve two necessary ordinances. One of these ordinances will establish a management agreement with Wireless Philadelphia, while the other will allow EarthLink to install wireless transceivers on city-owned light poles.

Councilors, Blondell Reynolds Brown and Frank DiCicco plan to formally introduce this legislation to council.

The ordinances are almost guaranteed to pass, since EarthLink has already agreed to pay the entire $22 million cost of constructing the network.

This project will create North Americaâ€™s first high-speed wireless internet network servicing a major city in its entirety. Completion of the 135-suare mile network is expected by the spring of 2007 if all goes according to plan.

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