The Associated Press and IDG News Service report the Phila. city council unanimously approved the Wireless Philadelphia/EarthLink deal: Of course, there's still two more signatures to get. I'm not kidding. The City Solicitor and mayor must both sign the contracts, but there's no worry about that happening. EarthLink must now obtain permits, which should be expedited through these blanket contracts, and start building their 15-square-mile test network. They anticipate the full network being finished by third quarter of 2007.
Actually, the bureaucratic complexity you describe ("two more signatures...I'm not kidding") are more the rule than the exception in any large municipal wireless contract. Any such agreement will touch upon a very wide range of political, business and regulatory issues and interests. These interests all make themselves felt (if not known) in the process of developing, advertising, reviewing and awarding these highly sought, heavily lobbied multi-million dollar contracts. I believe that it's the complexity (and perhaps the contentiousness) of these issues, rather than the relatively simple technology involved, that has made it so difficult, and time-consumiong, to implement in large-scale settings, such as large cities and airports.
Rich Evans
Chicago Airport System
Wi-Fi Project Manager