Los Angeles has been knocking about the idea of free citywide WiFi for several months, but now those thoughts have coalesced into something more concrete. Today, the Los Angeles City Council has unanimously decided to draft a RFP (or request for proposals) for businesses interested in developing that network. Building such a project “would require fiber to be run to every residence, every business, and every government entity within the city limits of Los Angeles, ” LA’s Information Technology Agency GM Steve Reneker told Ars Technica . It’s expected that the fiber will also supply residents with free internet access at speeds between 2Mbps – 5Mbps, with paid plans scaling up to a gigabit. The entire scheme is expected to cost $3 billion to $5 billion, but that’s cash the outfit that builds the network will be responsible for. However, don’t start packing your bags for the City of Angels just yet, as choosing and a company to build-out the whole shebang and associated negotiations could take up to a year. Comments Via: Ars Technica Source: Los Angeles City Clerk (1) , (2, PDF)
Read the original post:
Los Angeles moves forward with proposal for free citywide WiFi
