Erie Charts Course for Citywide Internet

Erie's (PA) status as a smart city is poised to take on new meaning thanks to the National League of Cities, the Erie Innovation District and Velocity Network. The Innovation District, which now provides free Wi-Fi in Perry Square, is expected to develop a plan during 2019 to roll out free wireless internet that could eventually blanket the city of Erie, said Karl Sanchack, the organization's CEO. Sanchack said the impetus for that initiative came from a call from the National League of Cities, which represents 19,000 cities and towns across the United States. In partnership with the philanthropic organization Schmidt Futures, the league announced in June that it was creating a new program, City Innovation Ecosystems, which is dedicated to helping cities thrive in the modern economy.