EarthLink Launches Trial Network in Philadelphia
EarthLink this week finally fulfilled the first phase in their buildout of Philadelphia, the largest urban deployment currently underway in the the U.S. While other networks are larger in scale, and larger urban networks are planned, Phila. is the one to watch because of its prominent political role in the development of arguments for and against municipally authorized or built Wi-Fi networks.
EarthLink committed from the beginning of its negotiations
with Phila. to a test network, and it’s been since about May that the company started down the path of this first stage, a 15-square-mile network in which they will prove their approach works. Once a review of this pilot has been achieved, the company will proceed to build the first network.
Use of the network is free until Jan. 21.