The San Francisco City Council selected Google and EarthLink to provide a city-wide Wi-Fi service. A free Internet access service will be provided by Google and Earthlink will offer a higher-speed, paid tier.
Six proposed solutions were submitted to the City. A review panel of city employees and an internationally known outside consulting firm undertook a detailed analysis of the proposals, each ranking them according to a methodology outlined in the RFP. The scores were combined and a final rating created for each bidder.. http://www.sfgov.org/site/tech_connect_page.asp?id=38562
- In January 2006, Earthlink signed a contract with Motorola for it to provide wireless equipment, design, installation and system integration for the initial five major cities where EarthLink will deploy municipal Wi-Fi Internet access networks. Financial terms were not disclosed. Motorola will provide its MOTOwi4 portfolio of products, including its Canopy high-speed backhaul and Wi-Fi mesh network equipment supplied to Motorola by Tropos Networks.