Philly prepares to offer free WiFi citywide

Big news in Pennsylvania today, after reports of many bureaucratic challenges -- Philadelphia has reached an agreement with Verizon that will allow the city to offer free WiFi as a sort of public utility. Free like liberty, free like beer?

Philadelphia's plans are the most ambitious of any major U.S. city to provide free or cheap high-speed wireless to all residents. Lawyers for the city and Verizon, the city's local telephone company, found common ground Tuesday in discussions with the governor's office, said Luz Cardenas, a spokeswoman for Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street.

Link.

But don't start cheering too soon, counters BoingBoing reader Mike:

While Philly's WiFi plan looks like it will go ahead as planned, that's only because PA Gov. Ed Rendell negotiated with Verizon to get their permission. The bill that Rendell just signed into law is just as bad as ever -- it was written by corporate lobbyists and gives telco monopolies the right to veto municipal plans to provide broadband services. Philadelphians will get their WiFi only because we raised a ruckus about it, but other cities in Pennsylvania are out of luck. This is a bad deal and a bad precedent.

Link to the full text of Mike's critique.

And BB reader Chris Holland says:

Philly citizens are about to unwittingly foot the bill for higher-priced broadband while jeopardizing their Municipal WiFi project, courtesy of telco-lobby-sponsored Pennsylvania House Bill 30. Om Malik is rounding-up analysis from Esme Vos and Harold Feld. The WSJ also offers a similar perspective. Slashdot also picked-up this story from Macworld.