Earthlink pulls the plug on city-wide wi-fi
At the time I said this was a horrible idea.
PHILADELPHIA - EarthLink Inc. is pulling the plug on its troubled wireless high-speed Internet network in Philadelphia, once touted as a national model.
EarthLink, which pinned its future on municipal Wi-Fi networks following rapid declines in its dial-up Internet access business, said Tuesday that it could not find a buyer for the $17 million network.
It was like putting public pay phones every ten feet and selling calling cards for them in the 1970s. The infrastructure costs are just too high to recoup. The WiMAX model is much better suited to metropolitan areas. You already have cell phone towers up; use them for wireless internet access as well.
PHILADELPHIA - EarthLink Inc. is pulling the plug on its troubled wireless high-speed Internet network in Philadelphia, once touted as a national model.
EarthLink, which pinned its future on municipal Wi-Fi networks following rapid declines in its dial-up Internet access business, said Tuesday that it could not find a buyer for the $17 million network.
It was like putting public pay phones every ten feet and selling calling cards for them in the 1970s. The infrastructure costs are just too high to recoup. The WiMAX model is much better suited to metropolitan areas. You already have cell phone towers up; use them for wireless internet access as well.