San Francisco Wi-Fi on Hold Till July, Mayor Frustrated
"No other large city has offered that kind of service."
San Francisco's Board of Supervisors has decided to wait until July to vote on the city's Wi-Fi proposal, and Mayor Gavin Newsom says he's "frustrated" by the delay. In a video interview with Marketwatch, Newsom says Google and Earthlink are hanging in there but that if Earthlink were to pull out of the project, the city has no backup plan. Newsom said he wants Google to "hold out until we at least get a vote up or down, one way or another, at the Board of Supervisors."
"It's frustrating," said Newsom. "It's been a two-year process, a two-year odyssey. We came up with what we think is the best proposal of its kind in the United States. Not only is it the best economic proposal for the taxpayers ... no cost out of our pocket ... a system that will be operated and managed by Earthlink, and supported by Google ... but also provides not just a tiered paid service, but this free basic service that Google is going to provide. No other large city has offered that kind of service."
