New Orleans' free Wi-Fi in dispute

NEW ORLEANS' FREE WI-FI IN DISPUTE
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Leslie Cauley]
More than half of New Orleans still doesn't have phone or Internet access. But that isn't stopping BellSouth from campaigning to shut down a free Wi-Fi service that has become a lifeline for thousands of residents, the city's top technology officer says. State laws ban municipalities from giving away broadband services. The city got around the ban because the governor declared a state of emergency after Hurricane Katrina. The state of emergency is expected to be lifted this year. When that happens, the broadband network would have to shut down. BellSouth has opposed proposed legislation that would allow New Orleans to keep its Wi-Fi network running. The carrier, which provides phone service in Louisiana, stands to lose phone and wireless customers if other cities follow New Orleans' lead.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20060329/1b_nowifi29.art.htm