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Happiest wireless place on Earth

Lisa Napoli Jun 29, 2006

TEXT OF STORY

MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: Another city is making it possible for its citizens to surf the Net without wires. Marketplace’s Lisa Napoli explains who really wins with this Wi-Fi deal.


LISA NAPOLI: The new wireless network being unveiled today in Anaheim, California is great for the locals there.

But Glenn Fleishman of Wi-Fi Network News says one company really stands to gain.

GLENN FLEISHMAN:“It’s a big deal for Earthlink it’s going to be the first city of any scale that Earthlink has launched using the approach they’re going to use in these much more complicated cities.”

Like Philadelphia, and San Francisco, where Earthlink won bid to provide wireless.

Fleishman says Anaheim will serve as a great calling card for Earthlink as it woos other cities that want to cut the cord.

FLEISHMAN: “They can take them to Anaheim and say here’s our first network, see how lovely it is, see how it works.”

Fleishman says it’s not just cities wanting to go Wi-Fi, Rhode Island recently revealed plans to un-wire the entire state.

I’m Lisa Napoli for Marketplace.

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