Metro, May 7, 2008
By Josh Cornfield

A citywide wireless Internet network that promised to help bridge the “digital divide” may be shuttered if the city isn’t able to reach an agreement with Earthlink, the company that built the system for free but now wants out.

Earthlink, which stopped accepting new customers last week, has given the city until tomorrow to come up with a plan to take over the system or it could begin to take down the network, according to sources close to discussions. An original deadline of last Wednesday came and passed.

The city has been working since Earthlink announced intentions to leave the municipal wireless business last year to salvage the system without taxpayer dollars, including so far unsuccessful discussions with an Ohio nonprofit that received $25 million to work on bridging the technological divide between rich and poor.

“We have been participating in discussions about what options and opportunities may exist,” said Douglas Oliver, spokesman for Mayor Michael Nutter. “We paid a lot of attention to this and explored several different options but they have proven to be fruitless.”

Earthlink announced last month that it is shutting down the Wi-Fi network it operated in New Orleans on May 18 after it couldn’t find someone to takeover.

According to Scot Rourke, CEO of OneCommunity, which received money from the James L. Knight Foundation to create the Knight Center for Digital Excellence in Akron, Ohio, stakeholders need to come together to back the system's noble goals.

“We’re waiting for all of the pieces to fall into place and eager to prevent the situation from deteriorating,” Rourke said.

The general manager of Earthlink’s Philadelphia operation didn’t return a call for comment.

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