These large companies continue to oppose the City's initiative - no doubt because the City's plan calls for providing wireless Internet service at a fraction of the cost charged by these current providers. In fact, only last minute negotiations prevented the passage of a bill that, as written, would have stopped the initiative completely. This bill, House Bill No. 30 (HB30), which passed late last year initially prohibited ALL State municipalities from delivering telecommunications service for a cost if such service competes with existing private enterprise.
The bill was amended to "grandfather" the Wireless Philadelphia initiative and other existing initiatives provided that the municipal WiFi service be operating by January 1, 2006. In essence the bill prevents similar initiatives in most of the State's other cities and towns and places added pressure on Philadelphia to get its service up and running by the first of next year.
Whether the City will meet this deadline remains in doubt as numerous scheduled dates for solicitation of bids, construction and implementation have passed. The current status of the initiative is murky to say the least.
Regardless of whether the City is able to meet the deadline and move forward with the plan, there are currently a number of individual public areas which have been wired and which do, currently, provide FREE high-speed wireless service to the public. These areas are:
- LOVE Park
15th Street & JFK Blvd
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway
From 15th Street and JFK Blvd to Kelly and Sedgley Drive (behind Art Museum)
- Philadelphia Reading Terminal
12th and Arch Street
- Philadelphia Convention Center
1101 Arch Street
- Headhouse Square Plaza
2nd and South Streets
- West Philadelphia: Powelton/Saunders Park
Area bordered by the R-6 Rail, Parkside Avenue, Belmont Avenue, Lancaster Avenue, and 52nd Street
- West Kensington: Norris Square
Area bordered by West Susquehanna Avenue, North Hancock Street, West Diamond Street and North Howard Street
