Google ended months of speculation lately by submitting a proposal to offer a free wireless Internet service to the city of San Francisco.
The Web search company said it has responded to a request for information by the City of San Francisco to test local Internet services via Wi-Fi, the short-range wireless technology built into most new laptop computers.
The proposal, which is one of a range of proposals being submitted both by large communications firms and small start-ups, is in response to a TechConnect program proposed by the city’s mayor, Gavin Newsom, this year. Mr. Newsom has positioned the program as a way to offer universal and affordable broadband Internet access to the city’s residents and businesses.
In recent months, speculation about Google’s plans as an Internet service provider has reached a fevered pitch. However, the company said that it did not yet have plans to roll out free nationwide Internet services. Instead, it called its proposal to San Francisco an opportunity to learn about offering a range of location-based services, including advertising.
An effort by the city of Philadelphia to offer municipal Wi-Fi Internet access services has met with stiff opposition from Phone Company Verizon Communications, Chicago and New York are among other cities considering similar plans.
The proposed Google Wi-Fi service aims to test a range of new services and applications around the hilly city, which is home to more than 700,000 residents.
Offering a free service like this is a great way to support the Bay Area, said Chris Sacca, a new-business development executive at Google. We do not have any plans outside of the Bay Area. He said the company expected to compete with a number of providers for the right to offer the new city service.
While some are worried about privacy issues, others praised Google’s proposal to blanket San Francisco with free wireless high-speed Internet access, saying it will help bring fast Web connections to more people in more places for less money than they are paying now.
Offering free wireless communications could thrust Google into competition with entrenched local suppliers of broadband Internet access, including telephone network SBC Communications Inc. and local cable operator Comcast Corp.
The service will take Google into a new technology arena beyond its rapidly growing Internet services. The Google proposal calls for deploying a wireless network based on the 802.11b and g standards and then upgrading to the coming 802.11n standard.
The company said its service would be an ‘open’ one and added that it had proposed wholesaling wireless bandwidth to third parties that might be interested in selling premium services.
A spokesman for SBC Communications, the local phone company, said the company was also planning to submit a proposal.
The Wi-Fi project could be funded through online advertising, a Google spokesman said.