San Francisco’s budget analyst estimates that a ubiquitous San
Francisco Wi-Fi network could be built and operated for one year for
$6-$10 million. Ongoing maintenance and operations might cost $2
million a year, and equipment/technology replacement might add another
$1.5 million annually. That’s less than $30 per household one time
($10,000,000/360,000 households) and less than $10 per year per
household for ongoing operations, maintenance and technology upgrades –
for an outdoor solution that could equally serve all citizens and
guests all year much better than dial-up services! That’s an incredibly
cheap and efficient use of public Wi-Fi spectrum, and it overestimates
the costs and does not count the benefits of a truly public network.
