Bringing public Wi-Fi to small-town America

BRINGING PUBLIC WI-FI TO SMALL-TOWN AMERICA
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Candace Lombardi]
When it comes to building the infrastructure that makes public high-speed Internet access possible, companies are keen to take on projects for large cities. However, smaller cities are another story. During the past 18 months, MultiState Associates, a consulting firm for lobbyists, has compiled a database on more than 2,000 communities with populations of 60,000 or more interested in developing municipal broadband or wireless services. The database includes cities in the early stages of public broadband interest, not just those that have put out requests for proposals (RFPs) to companies. Its data shows that while thousands of towns are interested in developing municipal networks, few vendors are willing to take on small projects. "I think towns are putting out RFPs faster than the industry can respond. I mean, there are several thousand cities pursuing this; there are only so many vendors pursuing smaller cities," Mitch Gorsen, vice president at MultiState Associates, said.
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