Whats the Future of Municipal Wi-Fi?
Despite EartLink Inc.’s exit from the market, municipal wireless is alive and well in the U.S., mostly in small-to-midsize cities, and it’s beginning to spread to Europe, said Esme Vos, founder of MuniWireless LLC, the self-styled “voice of municipal broadband.” In MuniWireless’ “2007 State of the Market” report, released earlier this month, she said, “We estimated the U.S. wireless market would experience year-to-year growth rates of around 33% from 2007 through 2010.” At that rate, the U.S. market for municipal broadband wireless, mostly Wi-Fi, including equipment and set up costs, will exceed US$900 million by the end of the decade. That is down from the 2006 projection, mainly because of EarthLink’s withdrawal, but the market is still growing. EarthLink, Vos said, was focused on very large cities and has pledged to finish its wireless project in Philadelphia. With its withdrawal, the large-city market has become quiescent, in part because projects the size of Philadelphia are beyon
