Google offers city free WiFi Google offers city free WiFi (November 11, 2005)

Council reviewing deal to make Internet access available to all

By Jon Wiener

Google is poised to make its hometown one of the first cities in the country to offer free wireless Internet service to everyone.

Under a proposal that will go before the Mountain View City Council next week, Google will pay approximately $12,000 per year to the city for the right to attach wireless "access point" devices to hundreds of lampposts throughout town, according to city economic development manager Ellis Berns. The network would create free access virtually anywhere in the city, up to and including the front rooms of most buildings.

"It's an experiment, a very exciting experiment, and it makes sense that they're doing it in their hometown," said Mayor Matt Neely. "It's cutting edge and so is Mountain View."

Google has been working quietly with the city for months on the proposal, ever since entering discussions with San Francisco leaders who wanted to offer limited wireless service for paying customers there.

Chris Sacca, Google's principal of new business development, said the company wanted to test its technology in a new arena while giving back to the community and the approximately 1,000 Google employees who live here.

"We would like to see more and more people have access to the Internet and lower and lower cost barriers," said Sacca.

Two smaller companies have previously tried to offer wireless service throughout the city. The city signed an agreement with MetroFi last year that would provide wireless access to households for $20 a month, but the company could not come up with the resources needed to deliver the service. An earlier agreement with Metricom fell through when that company went out of business.

Google's proposal would differ from earlier attempts by blanketing the entire city rather than selected areas, and doing it for free. Similar to cell phone networks, Google's wireless network would use low-power radio devices. The only cables used would be at three central rooftop locations throughout the city, including one at Google headquarters on Charleston Road.

Other companies could use the network as a platform for providing other services, such as Internet phone service. The network, if approved, is also likely to be watched closely by cities across the country interested in providing similar services to their residents.

City manager Kevin Duggan called the proposal a win-win for a community that values access to technology. "People use the Internet for all kinds of things. It should be available for as little cost as possible."

Sacca said the proposal is in keeping with the company's mission: "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful."

On the local level, the company is also paying to outfit a new and improved bookmobile for the library, complete with Internet access and a computerized catalog. An unveiling has been delayed for months, but is expected to take place soon.

E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com

E-mail a friend a link to this story.