Chicago has issued a call for bids to build a citywide wireless internet network, a move that could make it the largest such connected city in the world. Mayor Richard Daley said the initiative aims to deliver affordable, and potentially free, broadband access to all residents.
City officials cited figures showing that 80 percent of households earning under $50,000 a year still lack internet access, even as overall usage has grown. Daley framed the project as a way to close that gap: "We're creating hope and opportunity," he said.
Under the proposed arrangement, a private company or consortium would use city infrastructure, including streetlights and lamp poles, to install antennas for a high-speed wireless network. In exchange, the provider must keep rates affordable, serve low-income neighborhoods, offer free access at schools and parks, and support programs that expand computer availability to poorer residents.
Chicago already leads large American cities in library Wi-Fi coverage and currently offers wireless hot spots at Millennium Park, the Cultural Center, and Daley Plaza.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in May 2006, in its own words.