Mayor Gavin Newsom proposed a free Wi-Fi system for San Francisco two years ago. His administration negotiated a contract with Google and Earthlink that would pay the city $2 million over four years. Google would provide free Internet access; EarthLink would offer a faster service that could be accessed for a $22 monthly fee.
Not so fast said the city’s “progressive” left. Today’s SF Chronicle details the latest political bickering that has held up the city’s WiFi cloud. The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and others back the Mayor’s plan to let Google run it. Activists like the Media Alliance and Internet 4 Everyone think the city should have a non-profit group run it.
The supervisors have a few more months to approve a contract before it’s a mute point.
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