Philly vows municipal wifi not dead yet

The repeaters are a good idea, if they are done right. This looks like a good idea for a city that needs to grow.

clipped from www.reuters.com Philadelphia revives citywide Wi-Fi project PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Philadelphia revived an effort on Tuesday to provide free citywide wireless Internet access in a project to be run by a new group of investors. Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter said the city -- which is providing no public money for the Wi-fi project -- believed it was important to revive the project because of the economic opportunities that can flow from increased Internet access. Under the new system, people can buy a $200 device called a repeater to bring the signal inside buildings. Revenue from corporate customers would pay for infrastructure to distribute a wireless signal to outdoor areas throughout the city, notably to low-income areas where many residents don't have the Internet access that could improve their ability to find jobs or access public services.