Telephony Online recently reported on Earthlink’s sobering on the issue of municipal Wi-Fi. In the story, muni Wi-Fi consultant Craig Settles credits the hyperbole of politicians seeking re-election and overly-optimistic vendors with turning muni Wi-Fi into a consumer broadband free-for-all that it was never intended to be. He says that muni Wi-Fi was originally meant to target city workers and not city residents en masse, citing remote meter-reading, public safety and city mobile communications as appropriate uses of muni Wi-Fi.

EarthLink CEO Rolla Huff has stated, “...significant further investments in the business would be inconsistent with our objective of maximizing shareholder value.” While Earthlink is purportedly looking at strategic alternatives for its muni Wi-Fi business, this development adds to the volume of disappointing results delivered by municipal-delivered broadband initiatives.

While Cox has not directly opposed Wi-Fi projects underwritten by municipalities in our footprint, we do remain steadfast in our belief that the private networks built by the cable companies (and yes, the telephone companies too), are best positioned to provide consumer Internet services. The investments we’ve made with private funds ensure that we remain in step with consumer needs and market demands. And, we believe that future private investment in the Internet should not be threatened by a playing field tilted in favor of government subsidized services.