San Francisco Chronicle , August 18 , 2005

San Francisco has long been known as a wired city, but now it wants to be known as a wireless one.

Mayor Gavin Newsom wants wireless Internet access to be available everywhere in the city, from the tops of the hills to the depth of the valleys. He envisions the service not only reaching laptop users in cafes but also linking people in their homes -- including low-income residents whom the city would help acquire the hardware needed to log on.

"It must be free for certain segments of the city population," Newsom said. Those who can afford to may have to pay a minimal cost, he said, but the plan probably won't cost taxpayers anything, he said.

"We have had enough discussions that lead me to believe we can find a partner in this that would significantly take care of the up-front investment, " Newsom said.

Newsom first pledged to use Wi-Fi to connect every San Franciscan to the Internet as part of his State of the City address in October.

After starting a few wireless hot spots in Union Square and other public places, the city this week asked for help in coming up with a plan to create one giant hot zone serving the whole city. Newsom said he envisions the service becoming available within six to 10 months.

The challenges are many. San Francisco's hilly topography works against the goal, the mayor acknowledges. Getting Wi-Fi into individual apartments and homes is a technical and financial hurdle.

There also will be many critics, including companies that already provide wireless and regular Internet access at market rates.

Then there are those who think it would be a waste of the city's scarce financial resources.

"It's unbelievable that San Francisco is even considering this, since San Francisco is ranked as one of the most wired cities in the nation," said Sonia Arrison, director of technology studies at Pacific Research Institute, a San Francisco think tank that is funded by SBC Communications, the main high-speed Internet provider in the city. “This is not something the government needs to do.”

Arrison, who has been studying municipal efforts to provide wireless broadband across the country, warned that governments are not good at creating and supporting high-tech infrastructure.

Responses to San Francisco’s request for information, issued Tuesday, will help the city figure out whether it wants to build its own network, partner with a business or come up with some other plan.

Other areas across the country are also working on making Wi-Fi free or cheap for all. For example, Philadelphia is spending up to $10 million to build its own network.

MetroFi, a Mountain View firm, turned the whole city of Santa Clara into a hot spot and charges up to $20 a month for access. Costs for home broadband access range from promotional rates as low as $15 a month to $50 or $60 a month.

T-Mobile, which charges $40 a month for access to its wireless network, said it welcomes the San Francisco project.

“We have been approached by host of municipalities looking at this. At this time we’re not interested,” said Kyle Warnick, spokesman for the Bellevue, Wash., company’s Hotspot service.

SBC said it is reviewing the city’s request for information. “We’re going to analyze it and respond appropriately,” said spokesman John Britton.

Comcast, which also provides home broadband access in San Francisco , did not immediately return a reporter’s call.