Christian Sandvig, a University of Illinois professor, gets it right when he says that the push around the country for municipal Wi-Fi is going through a "messy period": This Associated Press story is yet another piece looking at the municipal Wi-Fi issue but it does a good job of looking at it on a very high level. Because Wi-Fi isn't the ideal technology to use for broad scale coverage and because commercial concerns may offer access in some areas, cities may ultimately build networks in areas visited by people who otherwise might not be able to afford to pay for Internet access. Philadelphia is building Wi-Fi in schools, targeting those that attract students that qualify for the school lunch program.
The story also includes a list of cities that have Wi-Fi covering at least 90 percent of the city.
In other municipal Wi-Fi news, the city of Newton, Mass., is considering building a Wi-Fi network throughout its 18 square miles. Residents would pay $10 a month for access.