EarthLink got the go-ahead Friday from the New Orleans City Council for a contentious plan to build a Wi-Fi network much like the one currently offering free services to residents, some of whom still have no regular telephone service, in the hurricane-ravaged city. The network will offer free service to residents and visitors while the city continues to rebuild. EarthLink will also offer a faster service, delivering 1Mbps uplink and downlink and customer service to paying customers.EarthLink will make the network open so that other service providers can offer competing services to users over its infrastructure.Soon after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans last year, the city decided to open up to the general public the Wi-Fi network that had been used by city workers. Then late last year, the city said it was expanding that network and would continue to offer free access. But earlier this year, reports surfaced that BellSouth, the local telephone company in New Orleans, was opposing that plan. Like some other U.S. states, Louisiana law forbids municipalities from offering communications services that compete with commercial operations. Such laws were often hastily pushed through local governments with the backing of incumbent operators that were worried about the growing enthusiasm for and potential competition from city-sponsored free Wi-Fi networks. New Orleans’s law includes an exception for emergency situations. BellSouth has largely denied that it has worked against the city’s plans. More recently, EarthLink’s name began to pop up as a possible operator to build the network instead of the city of New Orleans. EarthLink said the free offering will be available only for a limited time. EarthLink has won contracts to build Wi-Fi networks in other cities including Philadelphia and San Francisco.-Nancy Gohring, IDG News ServiceFor related news coverage, read San Francisco Wi-Fi Plan to Face More Heat, NYC Sets Deadline for Wi-Fi in Parks and BT to Blanket 12 U.K. Cities With Wi-Fi.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content news Concerns remain even as the EU reaches a landmark deal to govern AI Experts believe the new regulation would add a significant compliance burden on businesses as some argue it could even stifle the growth of the rapidly developing technology. By Gagandeep Kaur Dec 11, 2023 7 mins Regulation Regulation Government feature CIOs grapple with the ethics of implementing AI With ethical considerations around AI use increasingly top of mind, IT leaders are developing governance frameworks, establishing review boards, and coming to terms with the difficult discussions and decisions ahead. By Esther Shein Dec 11, 2023 13 mins Generative AI Data Governance IT Governance feature Reed Smith turns to AI for lawyer staffing solution The legal firm’s Smart Resourcing tool helps balance workloads and ensure partners find associates with the right skills and experience, while empowering employees to make connections across the firm’s global footprint. By Sarah K. White Dec 11, 2023 8 mins CIO 100 Legal Digital Transformation news Emirates NBD drives sustainability goals with Microsoft partnership By Andrea Benito Dec 10, 2023 2 mins CIO Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe