Briefing: The City Wireless

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The City of Brotherly Love wants to bring its citizens closer together--virtually--and plans to cover its 135 sq. mi. with free wireless Internet access by June 2006. Philadelphia will not be the first. Spokane, Wash., and Grand Haven, Mich., have already gone wi-fi. But Philly is the first major city to try joining their ranks. Dianah Neff, Philly's chief information officer and the instigator of the project, says the main objective is to bridge the digital divide in her city. "For Philadelphia to come into the 21st century," she says, "we must have affordable high-speed Internet for all." With strong backing from Mayor John F. Street, Neff is raising the required $10 million, turning to local banks as potential investors. (The city insists that no tax dollars will be used.) Not all businesses are excited. Internet providers, in particular, are concerned about losing customers. But Neff argues that even the skeptics will be converted as new opportunities arise, saying that "wireless has the potential to transform the Internet the way the World Wide Web transformed Arpanet." Other major cities seem to agree: Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City are toying with the idea of going wi-fi too. --By William Han