Philadelphia Wants to Buy a Wi-Fi Network

A Wi-Fi network built by IT company EarthLink in 2006 - which was sold two years later because of the fact that the ISP pulled out of the business - is to be bought by Philadelphia. The city wants the network partly because of the fact that low-income residents should have access to this IT service and not worry about paying for IT connectivity.

City spokesman, Douglas Oliver said that Philadelphia will buy the network for US$2 million and use it for city operations. Free public Internet access will be available in some public spaces, and after a while, the city may bring in revenue through partnerships with government agencies and educational institutions, Oliver said.