Portland contracted in 2006 with California-based MetroFi to build a Wi-Fi network that would provide free, wireless Internet service for nearly the entire city. The startup company said it wouldn't resume construction unless the city agreed to buy additional wireless services from the company. EarthLink, ...
dailywireless.org
MetroFi is trying to sell its citywide Wi-Fi networks in Portland (Oregon), Aurora and Naperville (Illinois) and Santa Clara , Cupertino , Sunnyvale , Foster City and Concord (California), reports Muniwireless and WiFiNetNews . MetroFi founder, Chuck Haas , says he is also exploring the sale of MetroFi itself to a third party.
If no buyers emerge, Haas says MetroFi will shut down service.
The Portland network was MetroFi's largest, nearly identical in size to Philadelphia's 135 square miles, the largest consumer-oriented municipal wireless network in the nation.
Found 64 days, 22 hours, 59 minutes, and 55 seconds ago
wireless-weblog.com
MetroFi has announced that's planning to sell its municipal networks - or simply shut them down if nobody wants to buy them.
"MetroFi's chief Chuck Haas emailed me this evening with the news that his firm has decided that they will sell their networks in nine cities, including their first cities in the Bay Area (Cupertino, Santa Clara, and Sunnyvale), and their largest muni deployment in Portland, Oregon," writes Wi-Fi Networking News' Glenn Fleishman .
Even without MetroFi's demise, Fleishman says, the muni Wi-Fi model is in trouble.
Found 64 days, 6 hours, 44 minutes, and 5 seconds ago
portland.metblogs.com
Better enjoy that free Portland Wi-Fi while you can…the Oregonian and the Portland Business Journal are both reporting the network may soon be sold to the city or shutdown. Word is MetroFi has decided to walk from the deal and is offering to sell the network to the city for $894,000! The company said it will be yank its equipment at the end of June if the city or someone else doesn't pick up the tab.
This really seems like a crap move by MetroFi, especially when you consider this word of news that the company will be selling its nine city networks across the country.
Found 64 days, 19 hours, 18 minutes, and 53 seconds ago
blog.oregonlive.com
MetroFi told the city this week that it will turn off Portland's free, ad-supported Wi-Fi network next month if someone doesn't buy it. The company's asking price: $894,000.
Read more on that news here , or read background on the network here .
Glenn Fleishman of Wi-Fi Networking News had the story first , late last night. MetroFi CEO Chuck Haas sent Glenn an e-mail outlining the decision. In that e-mail, Haas wrote that MetroFi would seek to sell all its networks in California, Illinois and Portland, and is open to selling MetroFi itself.
Found 64 days, 19 hours, 49 minutes, and 33 seconds ago
