The SF Chronicle reports that Google has offered to blanket San Francisco with free wireless Internet access at no cost to the city. The offer was one of more than a dozen competing bids received by the city before its deadline Friday. The proposal raises speculation that Google intends to create a free national Wi-Fi network as a way to ensure people can connect to its search engine anytime, from just about anywhere. Such a service could pose a serious challenge to existing Internet service providers such as SBC-Yahoo, Earthlink, Comcast and America Online.
San Francisco is a notoriously difficult city for blanket Wi-Fi coverage because of its hills, valleys and tall buildings. To ensure a good signal, Google would install up to 30 small Wi-Fi antennas per square mile.
Further coverage from Search Engine Watch and News.com
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