Google Won't Do Silicon Valley Wi-Fi
By Geoff Duncan
May 05, 2006
After throwing in with San Francisco's city-wide Wi-Fi project, Google apparently won't be involved in setting up a Silicon Valley Wi-Fi network.
Shortly after throwing in with Earthlink to help create a city-wide Wi-Fi service for San Francisco, IDG News Service is reporting that Google will not be bidding on a project to build a Silicon Valley Wi-Fi network. The Silicon Valley effort would be in Google's own corporate backyard—and thus possibly more beneficial to its employees.
The Wireless Silicon Valley Task Force is seeking vendors to build and operate a wireless network to start service in the first part of 2007.
The city of Mountain View is not part participating in the project&151;it has its own Wi-Fi service operated by Google&151;but the two groups hope to make the systems interoperable. Earthlink, Google's partner in the San Francisco project, hasn't indicated whether it will put in a bid.
The overall cost of the proposed network is estimated at more than $200 million, and it would span more than 1,500 square miles from the San Francisco city limits in the north to the city of Santa Cruz in the south. The service would be supported by advertising and commercial premium services, although basic free service would be available to low-income residents and people who don't have broadband.