EarthLink Bails Out On New Orleans Wi-FI
I missed this one over the weekend, but it seems that New Orleans is about to lose its municipal Wi-Fi network as EarthLink plans to halt its participation in the citywide project on May 18, an EarthLink spokesman said Friday. Many municipal Wi-Fi networks have had problems, so this isn’t a shock. Wonder if WiMax would have been a better choice for the long run.
The Internet service provider had tried a three-pronged approach before it decided to terminate the network, said Chris Marshall, EarthLink’s VP of corporate communications. First, EarthLink tried to sell the network outright. Second, it sought to transfer ownership of the network to the city of New Orleans. Finally, it tried to transfer the network to a third party. All three approaches failed. “We were unable to find a buyer — either the city or an outside buyer,” Marshall said, noting that New Orleans city officials and customers have been informed that EarthLink will remove its network. Subscribers are being offered alternate EarthLink high-speed broadband or dial-up services in place of Wi-Fi.
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