The
RFI supplies information about Somerville's resources, demographics and
topography. The goal is a wireless internet network, which will offer
city-wide service.

"Issuing an RFI is a way to provide more
flexibility for potential applicants," said Rositha Durham, Purchasing
Director, City of Somerville. "What it amounts to is an invitation for
businesses, or even non-profit groups, to tell us about their
experience and the advantages of their approach to setting up and
operating a wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) network."

The RFI document
contains the city's anticipated goals for a Wi-Fi project, which are:
universal service; affordability, competition and consumer choice.

How
does Mayor Curtatone hope that Somerville residents will benefit? "Our
goal is to see whether there are business models and technology models
that can bring Wi-Fi to Somerville in a way that minimizes cost and
maximizes public access," said Curtatone. "In times likes these, we
don't have the money to deploy Wi-Fi on our own, but we can offer a
good network of fiber access points and access to city buildings and
light poles for relay points. In addition, Somerville is a compact,
densely-populated city, without a lot of brick or steel high-rise
buildings. All of those factors could make Wi-Fi more practical, here,
than in many other communities."

The network will provide
local students, as well as other users, with "a no-cost way to check
e-mail or run text-based searches," said Curtatone. "We would like to
see models that include open access hotspots in key business districts,
as well as a way to help low-income households gain at least some
access to the Internet via a portal supported by advertising or some
other revenue flow."

The city's student population was not the
sole reason for the proposed Wi-Fi network. "The Mayor's decision to
pursue city-wide Wi-Fi was not based on one particular demographic."
said Lesley Hawkins, Public Information Officer.

How did the
idea for a city-wide Wi-Fi network emerge? "The Mayor first raised the
idea of city-wide Wi-Fi during his 2007 State of the City speech," said
Hawkins. "Since then, we have closely observed the efforts, and
challenges, of other municipalities contemplating city-wide Wi-Fi. We
are confident that by issuing the RFI, at this point we will receive
the most feasible business and technology proposals that will minimize
cost and maximize public access."

"We are hoping that we can
find potential partners who can provide equipment at little or no cost
to the city [to] operate the system," said Viswanathan. The bare
minimum, for which he is hoping, is assistance in the installation of
the system.

"I think there is going to be a fair amount of interest," said Viswanathan.

The
level of response needs to be analyzed before the plan to create a
city-wide Wi-Fi network in Somerville can become a reality, according
to Viswanathan.