The California capital's city council approved the contract: Sacramento Metro Connect can now go ahead to build out the 90 sq mi network that will pass 400,000 residents. The consortium comprises Azulstar, Cisco, Intel, and Seakay, with Azulstar in the lead. The group less Intel and plus IBM have a separate consortium to build Wireless Silicon Valley, a much larger and more involved project--many more stakeholders.
The Sacramento network will include what's being called a "high-speed free access layer" to be funded through sponsorships and advertising. Some form of free access was what drove the first winning bidder away from the negotiating table in a previous round of proposals; Sacramento felt it was key to their needs. A "concept phase" is due in Sept. 2007, with a rollout starting later in the year.