Citywide Wi-Fi networks sound like a fantastic idea. Take your laptop with you to the park or the grocery store. Drop your home Internet connection. Look up directions in your car (parked, of course). More than 150 U.S. cities planned to roll out municipal Wi-Fi at one point, but the reality is setting in: these networks don't work.
Latest case in point: EarthLink, which is shutting down its Philadelphia Wi-Fi network in 30 days. Earthlink even tried to give away the network, but couldn't reach a deal with anyone. Too bad for EarthLink, which plunged deep into the municipal Wi-Fi business when its dial-up revenue fizzled. Shares dropped after the announcement, but have climbed nearly 3% today to $9.36.
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