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San Francisco promised free Wi-Fi
'We will not stop until every San Franciscan has access to free wireless Internet service'

By Reuters

Published: Friday 22 October 2004

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has set a goal of providing free wireless Internet access in his city that sees itself as a vanguard of the Internet revolution.

"We will not stop until every San Franciscan has access to free wireless Internet service," he said in his annual state of the city address on Thursday. "These technologies will connect our residents to the skills and the jobs of the new economy."

"No San Franciscan should be without a computer and a broadband connection."

He said the city had already made free Wi-Fi service available at Union Square, a central shopping and tourist hub, and would add access to several other sections of the city including Civic Centre around City Hall.

The stadium where the San Francisco Giants baseball team plays also offers Wi-Fi, a wireless technology that allows a computer with a special modem to connect to the Internet.

Other cities have started setting up large areas of Wi-Fi coverage, including San Jose in Silicon Valley and parts of Long Beach, California.