Tempe on track to debut citywide Wi-Fi network in February

[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Michelle Roberts]
Tempe, the Phoenix suburb that is home to Arizona State University, is due to have wireless Internet available for all of its 160,000 residents in February, becoming the first city of its size in the USA to have Wi-Fi throughout. Tempe officials hope that by making high-speed Internet as accessible as water or electricity across its 40 square miles, it will attract more technology and biotech companies and the upwardly mobile employees they bring. An increasing number of cities are looking at using Internet access as an economic development tool. Few have gotten as far as installing systems, “but most cities are realizing that it may be something that they want to do,” said Cheryl Leanza, legislative counsel for the National League of Cities.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20051212/a_tempe12.art.htm