Philly goes wireless

FORGET the stadiums. Ignore the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative. John Street's administration yesterday announced what could be the most important legacy the mayor will leave Philadelphia. The administration hopes to turn all 135 miles of Philadelphia into a giant wireless hotspot and bring the Internet to the masses. Street has named a 17-member "Wireless" committee to explore the feasibility of the plan, which would involve installing thousands of transmitters across the city. Computers equipped with wireless cards could then log into the Internet. If this becomes a reality, Philadelphia will be the first major city in the United States to provide wireless Internet access to all its residents. About 1,200 people now regularly use the free wireless access the city provides at LOVE Park.

While this is a noteworthy story in and of itself, for journos, another story is what publications are picking up this story. In the Google search I did, the story appears in the Boston Globe, Forbes, and then notice its global reach: U.K., Singapore, Phillipines, etc. Google Search: Look at where this story is being picked up.