Philadelphia to Become Wireless

Philadelphia Mayor John F. Street announced the appointment of the Wireless Philadelphia Executive Committee to explore the opportunity for Philadelphia to become the first large city in the United States to provide city-wide wireless access.

Appointed by Mayor John F. Street in July 2004, the Wireless Philadelphia Executive Committee will work with the city's Chief Information Officer Dianah Neff to create a business plan for a digital infrastructure for Philadelphia. In late November, the Committee is scheduled to deliver their Business, Funding Strategy and Communications plans to Mayor Street for review.

The Committee's mission is to promote citywide connectivity; act as an advocate of wireless community networking; provide a forum for wireless networking and formulate recommendations in several policy areas including fees, roles and responsibilities, extent of service, privacy and security. The talents and areas of interest represented by the Committee will help identify funding sources and partnerships as part of the business plan.

Neff states, "This will increase visibility and heighten the importance of wireless technology and its benefits in the areas of tourism, economic development, small businesses and to the residents of the city of Philadelphia. We will create a wireless communications infrastructure that will offer solutions and benefits to students who don't live on campus as well as parents and small businesses who otherwise would not be able to access the world-wide-web."