A Closer Look At EarthLink’s Muni WiFi Strategy
The Wireless Weblog offers a glimpse into EarthLink’s municipal wireless strategy.
A couple of months ago, I and some other NYCwireless folks also got on the phone to speak with a few people at EarthLink about their plans. Of particular interest is that they are persuing an open access network, where any ISP or other organization can buy carriage on their networks (like DSL used to work). This is a good strategy, and one that every municipality should require (though some are not). This ensures that there is a competitive marketplace in the wireless ISP space.
In the interview on the Wireless Weblog, EarthLink also acknowledges that there’s an issue with low income and digital divide service: though they can provide internet, families need PC’s as well. EarthLink would do well to persue partnerships with local non-profits for this part of the solution, as many cities have free or cheap PC programs that provide computers to low income residents. They’d also do well to work with local organizations to provide training and other services.
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- 2.1.06 @ 8am
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