Corpus Christi, Texas, sees Wi-Fi not only as the technology to improve its own government operations, but also as a means for businesses and citizens to connect in new and innovative ways. That doesn't mean that the city has ever considered becoming a public ISP, either directly or indirectly. Nonetheless, the city views its assets as a resource to help bring wireless access to the general public -- assets that include a fiber network connecting all its buildings and traffic signals that can serve as the backhaul for a Wi-Fi network.

"Our goal was not to provide service down to the individual customer," explained city manager George "Skip" Noe. "That we feel would be better done by the private sector. So the question for us is how to leverage the assets that currently exist predominately for city use, but in a way that also achieves maximum benefit for the entire community."

The city has already installed Wi-Fi throughout 24 square miles of the city where the average density of the coverage is now 12 to16 access devices per square mile. And in