Google to build wireless network in San Francisco (FT)

Google, the internet search group, and Earthlink, the internet service provider, on Wednesday drew closer to covering the city of San Francisco with a wireless broadband network, after a city panel selected the companies as the preferred providers for the project.

Schmidt's Google To Give San Francisco Free Wi-Fi (Forbes)

London - Peace, love and Wi-Fi: It must have baffled members of San Francisco's legendary Beat Generation when after decades of gentrification, their city not only became a bastion of billionaires but featured pockets of wealth like Atherton, top of the Forbes list of the most expensive zip codes in the U.S. Surely now that its home to the tech revolution and affluent, hard-nosed eggheads, Frisco doesn't need a warm blanket of free wireless Internet. Or does it? Perhaps we shouldn't underestimate the power of that free-wheeling sentiment, and the will of a city mayor.

Google aims to track users with wi-fi (FT)

Google aims to be able to track its users to within 100-200 feet of their location through new wireless networks in order to serve them with relevant advertising from local businesses.

The leading internet search company, which depends on advertising for 99 per cent of its revenues, was selected on Wednesday by San Francisco as its preferred bidder to provide a basic free wi-fi internet service covering the entire city.

It had partnered in its bid with the internet service provider Earthlink, which intends to charge a fee for a faster internet connection.

Google and Earthlink will now enter final contract negotiations with the city. There were five other bidders including a non-profit group backed by Cisco Systems and IBM.

The company hopes to defray the costs of offering a free service through contextual advertising. Analysts have speculated that the San Francisco bid could be a prelude to Google seeking to extend its reach into localities nationwide.

It is already planning a free wi-fi network by the summer covering the city of Mountain View, where its headquarters is based, and the San Francisco service may be up and running by the end of the year.

Google says users linking up with wi-fi transmitters placed around cities can be located to within a couple of blocks. This would open up a new level of advertising opportunities for the company, allowing it to serve tightly focused ads on its web pages from small businesses in the immediate area.