Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness ââ?¬â?? oh, and high-speed Internet access, too. Broadband Internet access is so important to Mayor Gavin Newsom that he recently declared it a “fundamental right,” one that City Hall must provide to the people of San Francisco. After the city solicited bids from two dozen companies to blanket The City with cheap and fast Internet service, Google offered to do the job for free. The tech titan plans to make money by selling ads and offering service upgrades. Local leaders can clamor for free Wi-Fi, but enthusiasm is no substitute for expertise. We shouldn’t expect cites, many of which have trouble filling potholes, to dive into this dog-eat-dog industry and keep their heads above water.
Read the rest of my San Francisco Examiner piece here.