AT&T hooks up Riverside, CA with free municipal wifi
By Will Park on Sunday, July 8th, 2007 at 1:30 PM PST In AT&T, Partnerships, Services
Life in the Inland Empire is about to get a little sweeter. The booming city of Riverside, CA., with its 300,000 residents, will happy to hear that AT&T (NYSE: T) is working with MetroFi to bring free public wireless internet access to the entire city. MetroFi’s experience in deploying city-wide wireless networks will prove invaluable in covering the 55-square mile area of Riverside with the WiFi-mesh hardware on top of city-owned power poles and other infrastructure. But, as with everythign in life, the free public WiFi system will not come without strings. The MetroFi service will require citizens to endure a bit of advertising in exchange for free internet. AT&T will also offer a subscription-based service for visitors to the city – $7.99 per day or $15.99 for a weekly pass.
AT&T’s move to provide free public WiFi goes against staunch opposition from industry-rival Verizon (NYSE: VZ). Verizon, among others, see free municipal WiFi as a threat to their landline-based premium services – so AT&T may be trying to one-up their enemy.
The service is set to launch on Monday with a phase-one rollout in downtown Riverside, Hunter Technology Park and the Adams Auto Center.
[Via: Yahoo News]
Will, you’re not the only one to get this wrong but please note: Verizon does not oppose muini WiFi as your post states. We’ve addressed this in many places, including on our Policy Blog:
http://policyblog.verizon.com/policyblog/blogs/policyblog/ericrabe9/108/government-wifi.aspx
Thanks, and i enjoy the site. CZ
While Verizon may not block municipal wifi plans through lobbyists or bills, it seems from the blog post you linked to that Verizon is not helping the municipal wifi push. It is my sentiment that if Verizon is not with us, they are against us (or opposed to WiFi, as the case may be).
i need the phone number for whoever can help me to get on the at&t riverside free internet.