EarthLink scores Anaheim WiFi contract

EarthLink's quest to rule the metropolitan airwaves is pushing ahead unabated, as they were just chosen to blanket Anaheim, CA with cozy WiFi, closely following their deal with Philly, and on the same day that their proposal to compete with Google for the San Francisco contract was unveiled. According to EarthLink, Tropos Networks' MetroMesh wireless routers, situated on lampposts throughout the city, will provide the backbone of Anaheim's 50-square-mile network. Once their two-square-mile proof of concept network is approved, EarthLink expects to have the entire project complete by the end of next year.

[Via The Wireless Weblog]

[Arthur @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I can imagine this has been brought up before, but would city wide Wi-Fi make all the cellular data services moot?

Why pay 80 bucks a month for Verizon wireless (EV-DO?).

[Aaron Jabbari @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Additionally, as city-wide wifi becomes more prominent, a number of VoIP phones will come out, utilizing the networks. Though it may take a while, this could, in effect end the reign of cellular technology all together.

More importantly, I can now surf the net on top of space mountain =0

[chip @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

why is the mouse on the left side of the computer? it's not like people actually use the 'other' hand to do stuff--GO RIGHTIES!

[daHippo @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Wooooooo Hooooooo!!!!!! By next year even! First time I've actually been happy living in the city of da mouse.

[aprodite @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

#4 It's on the left because that picture is actually mirrored, look at the keyboard, the number pad and arrow keys are on the left too, and if you look at the yellow logo on the tower, it appears to be running in the wrong direction too.

[Vic @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

I'm thinking EarthLink will offer VoWiFi out of the box(requiring an upgrade).
Don't count the Celco's out just yet, WiFi has a defined area and they will be the first to mention it.

[Ethan @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

Is anyone else bothered by these massive wifi rollouts? Wifi really only supports 3 concurrent access points well, and 5 if you take a hit on speed, and 11 if you're very optimistic. It's an unlicensed band, and I expect to see some major 2.4Ghz congestion in years to come, such that people/businesses won't be able to run their own access points. I think wifi just isn't meant for such a massive scale.

It's already a problem in our on-campus dorms, where I can weakly pick up about 20 access points. When I finally connect to one (which happens to be the school's system), I get a decent connection that drops cleanly in and out from minute to minute.

[Shannon @ Dec 19th 2005 2:38AM]

sounds cool. As an O.C. girl, I'm excited about seeing what happens.