Free Wireless — In My City?

The Inquirer’s Patrick Kerkstra reported last night that a group of local investors has rescued Wireless Philadelphia like the abandoned kitten that it is.

The group includes Derek Pew and Mark Rupp, who are apparently both local and businessmen. “Little if any” taxpayer money was used in the deal; the two plan to offer free, advertising-supported wireless Internet in the city. Hey, how long ’til we can start taking bets on the advertising market collapsing? Oh, I guess I just started.

Mayor Nutter will talk about Wireless Philadelphia today at noon.

Wi-Fi Lives [Heard in the Hall]

[Photo by eva101; licensed with Creative Commons]

With Liberty And Porn For All

Philadelphia’s Wi-Fi network will be the Internet the way it’s supposed to be: Full of pornography.

Wireless Philadelphia has decided that it will not block access to pornographic sites. Hallelujah!

KYW 1060 reports that when Culver City, Calf., found out most people were using the free Wi-Fi network to visit porn or piracy sites — but of course! — it installed filters. But Philly is going at this Internet thing au natural:

“We’re trying to create the opportunities for people here, without limiting anyone’s ability to take full advantage of the Internet. Because once you start putting those things (filters) in, you could potentially be limiting people’s access to important opportunities as well.”

Yep. The important goal of having naked Philly chicks exposing themselves on webcam’s over the city’s Wi-Fi. If the city can develop a free, citywide credit card processing system, this city’s economy will be rejuvenated.

Phila.’s WiFi Network Won’t Block Porn Sites [KYW 1060]

Small California Town Outdoes Philadelphia

Yes, it’s true: A small town in California with a population of 72,000 has totally just kicked Philadelphia square in the family jewels. Okay, okay, the town happens to be Mountain View, California, home of Google, but that doesn’t change the fact that Google is offering the entire town free Internet.

Google won’t be giving it to them through a series of tubes, oh no — it’s free Wi-Fi Internet for the whole city. Philadelphia, whose Wi-Fi system is slated for completion in 2098, will be charging somewhere in the neighborhood of 15-20 bucks a month for it. And, hell, even San Francisco — whose Wi-Fi is going to be done by Earthlink, the same company doing Philly’s — is going to have a free (but slower) Wi-Fi run by Google, with a top speed service at $20 a month.

Yep. Philly will be conquering that problem of the digital divide any day now.

Google: Free Wi-Fi for our hometown [AP/CNN.com]