Alexandria’s and Arlington’s wireless Internet revolution has slowed to the speed of a dial-up modem.

Alexandria and Arlington are awaiting word from Internet provider Earthlink on the company’s re-evaluation of its municipal Wi-Fi contracts. Alexandria signed a citywide Wi-Fi contract with the Atlanta-based company in December 2006, while Arlington awarded Earthlink a contract in April.

Under the municipal Wi-Fi model Earthlink developed, the company paid for the up-front costs. It installed antennas, paid rent to municipalities for attaching them to utility poles, and provided free service to government agencies. The payback was to come through subscriber fees. In recent months, the model has come under scrutiny, as fewer residents signed up than expected in California.

“As the model stands right now, it needs to be re-evaluated from a business metrics perspective,” Earthlink spokesman Jerry Grasso told the Examiner.

This story continues below
Advertisement

Earthlink’s new CEO Rolla Huff is expected to announce the results of his re-evaluation by the end of September, Grasso said.

“We’re just waiting to hear back from Earthlink,” said Craig Fifer, Alexandria’s E-government manager. “We anticipate they will honor that contract.”

In Alexandria, Earthlink promised to provide free service to city emergency employees and building inspectors, as well as to the laptops provided to public high school students. The company would also provide free hot spots at city Metro and train stations and in city parks, and reduced subscriptions to lower-income residents.

Arlington’s contract with Earthlink includes promises that free Wi-Fi will be offered at parks and recreation centers. Arlington would receive reduced prices for wireless service for employees in the field. The contract can only be terminated if the county defaults on some part of the

agreement, or if there is some unanticipated third-party action, said Rob Billingsley, Arlington’s IT manager.