Four years ago I stood here at City Hall and said “Thank You” to my friends, family and supporters for electing me mayor of this incredible city. I look back now and realize it has taken the experiences of the last four years to truly appreciate the honor that you gave me that day. I knew it before – but now I’ve lived it. This place, our people, make up the finest city in this nation. There are bigger cities. But there are simply no better cities.  Serving as your mayor is the greatest honor I could ever imagine. In the past four years, I have looked at best practices throughout this nation. And I’ve learned – with both a growing pride and a profound sense of responsibility – that the nation is also looking back to us. Read more »

By Michael Liedtke
Associated Press

A Silicon Valley startup is promising to blanket San Francisco with free wireless Internet service, reviving a crusade that crumbled last year after two much larger companies, EarthLink Inc. and Google Inc., scrapped their plans to build a high-speed network for Web surfing. Meraki Networks Inc., whose financial backers include Google, hopes to complete the ambitious project within the next year by persuading thousands of San Francisco residents to set up free radio repeaters on their rooftops and in their homes. The 21-month-old company is to announce its plans Friday. Read more »

By Phil Ting
Assessor-Recorder, City and County of San Francisco

Lately, there has been a great deal of discussion in our local press and in the blogosphere about the emergence of signal sharing among wireless users in San Francisco. As Chair of the Free WiFi for All campaign, which is Prop J on this November’s ballot, I have been following these conversations and stories with great interest. As something of a tech geek and firm believer in open source, I agree that the proponents of signal sharing are on to something: without a doubt, the Internet should be freely and easily accessed by all San Franciscans. Read more »

By Elaine Carpenter and Laura Efurd

San Francisco has an important opportunity to harness the benefits of wireless technology to improve the lives of its residents and businesses. By approving the proposed Wi-Fi contract with Earthlink and Google, the Board of Supervisors can bring anytime, anywhere communications to all San Franciscans and transform our city into a one of a kind Digital Community. What makes the Wi-Fi project all the more exciting is that it can be accomplished at no cost to taxpayers and without sacrificing City governance and operational controls. The Wi-Fi network, in combination with creative digital inclusion programs, will help the city meet important community goals. Read more »

By Leslie Rule
Project Supervisor, KQED Digital Storytelling Initiative

The importance of the Internet in a 21st education is a given. It is barely possible to do research without the Internet. The Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, Black History, Latina History, pictures, videos, speeches – the main source of knowledge is no longer found in books, it’s found on the web. Without 24/7 connectivity as the norm, young people, especially students who dream of a college education, are at an overwhelming disadvantage. Material for high school exit exams and other standardized tests is in great abundance on the web, but try to locate offline help – it’s expensive, difficult to find and often outdated. Entrance requirements and applications to college? Found on the web. Help and support for health issues? Found on the web. Read more »

By Ryan Kim
San Francisco Chronicle
Originally Published May, 12 2007

The San Francisco controller's office issued a favorable review Friday on a proposal by EarthLink and Google to provide the city with free wireless Internet access.  The report estimates residents could save $9 million to $18 million in Internet bills annually by having the option of choosing the EarthLink service, which will offer free access as well as a paid service that is cheaper than other broadband options like DSL and cable.  The report said the service will help the city bridge the digital divide, providing many residents with Internet service for the first time. It also noted it would be a boon to EarthLink, giving it a foothold in the San Francisco broadband market. Read more »

By Alec Ross, One Economy Corporation and Simon Rosenberg, NDN

We believe that America needs to put a laptop in every backpack of every child.  We need to commit to a date and grade certain: we suggest 2010 for every sixth grader.  These laptops need to be wirelessly connected to the Internet, and children need to be able to take them home.  Local school districts should choose how best to do this, but there needs to be federal funding and simple, federal standards.  Funds and strategies for how training our teachers to lead this transformation need to be part this commitment.  We believe it will cost at first $2 billion a year to provide every 6th grader a laptop, about what we spend in Iraq every week. Hardware costs continue to plummet each year, and the idea of a $200 laptop or classmate PC is coming ever closer to reality.  It is not a question of resources, but of vision and political will.  Libya has just announced a national commitment to give all its school children a laptop.  If Libya can do it, so can America.    Read more »

By Anni Chung
President & CEO, Self-Help for the Elderly

On March 20, 2007, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will either approve or reject the Google-Earthlink WiFi contract which, when implemented (target completion date is end of 2007), will provide universal Internet access to all San Franciscans. The Board of Supervisors’ action to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a feasibility study – and another $10-$20 million to build the network if the Supervisors should vote for the municipally-owned version in March – is not based on sound judgment and does not reflect the sentiments of the people who have spoken at the public hearings to date. Read more »

By Esme Vos
Founder, Muniwireless.com

The ink is barely dry on the contract between EarthLink and San Francisco, but the factions have already lined up on either side of the debate. In other cities it’s been the pro-muni broadband activists against the anti-muni broadband crowd (the telco and cable incumbents). In San Francisco, the opposition to the EarthLink plan comes from those who want the city to: (a) deploy a fiber network and (b) own the underlying infrastructure. I can see their point – having a fiber network guarantees high-speed Internet access and a city-owned infrastructure will prevent another cable-like monopoly from developing in San Francisco. But I will make the case for deploying the citywide Wi-Fi network now. Read more »