[IP] S.F. stalling Wi-Fi plans, Google executive charges (why are they surprised djf)
Begin forwarded message:
From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: September 16, 2006 2:52:47 PM GMT+02:00
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] S.F. stalling Wi-Fi plans, Google executive
charges
Reply-To: dewayne@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
S.F. stalling Wi-Fi plans, Google executive charges
- Verne Kopytoff, Chronicle Staff Writer
Saturday, September 16, 2006
An executive for Google Inc. says San Francisco's plan to offer free
wireless Internet access to residents is being delayed by a slow-
moving city bureaucracy five months after the company won a high-
profile contract for the project alongside partner EarthLink Inc.
In an interview with The Chronicle, Chris Sacca, who leads Google's
special projects, voiced frustration with what he called the city's
slow negotiating style. Sacca said that talks to come up with a final
contract have advanced little since they started and that officials
have made unreasonable demands, including a request for free
computers and a share in revenues.
"Every meeting is like the first," he said.
Sacca's criticisms are the first by Google about the city's
oversight. Initially, officials said the wireless Internet network
would be built by the end of the year, but the city now says the
service will be delayed at least until 2007.
Ron Vinson, chief administrator for San Francisco's technology
department, declined to address Google's complaints other than to say
that "the city is pleased where the negotiations are heading, and we
look forward to concluding this process."
He added that "we want to make sure that we are getting the best deal
for the city, and we're working diligently to do just that."
The idea of free Internet access throughout the city was first
championed by Mayor Gavin Newsom, who is a friend of Google founders
Sergey Brin and Larry Page.
San Francisco chose Google and EarthLink's joint bid from among six
bids to blanket the city with so-called Wi-Fi as part of a plan to
provide Internet access to nearly all the city's residents. Virtually
anyone with a Wi-Fi-enabled computer would be able to get online,
whether at home, in a park or at work.
Google would offer free Internet access at speeds faster than dial-
up, though slower than broadband. The company hopes to use the
service, subsidized at least in part by online advertising, to test
new products for wireless Internet users.
EarthLink, an Internet service provider, would own the Wi-Fi network
and be responsible for maintenance. The company plans to offer users
a faster connection than Google for a fee to be determined.
[snip]
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URL: <http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/09/16/
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