"It worked smashingly," Chris Sacca, Google head of special initiatives, said. "We have really been looking forward to this day. The citizens have embraced it as their network."
Google spent $1 million creating a network that lets people with wireless-enabled computers, telephones, or other devices to link to the Internet nearly anywhere in the city of Mountain View, which covers almost 12 square miles (31 square kilometers).
Google affixed WiFi antennae to city-owned lampposts and was working with residents who have offered their homes as antenna spots in "dead zones."
The cost of running the system was "phenomenally cheap" and the network was in keeping with Google's belief in universal access to the Internet and the world's information, according to Sacca.
"One of the main goals of the project was to inspire citizens to realize there is this promise of access and at the same time to inspire entrepreneurs to develop networks," Sacca said. "What better way to go ahead and put your money where your mouth is than to build a network and show that it works."
The wireless network also provides Google's more than 1,000 employees in the city opportunities to experiment with new technologies and services.
Makers of WiFi telephones and other such devices have already contacted Google about trying out gear on the network, Sacca said.
"We have a sandbox to play in," Sacca said. "At Google, work is play. It's a sandbox not just for Google and anyone in this industry."
The wireless network is designed for access outdoors but people could boost connectivity inside buildings by installing commercially available WiFi modems.
Google capped the Internet connection speed to that of a home computer DSL service as a precaution in case use of the WiFi network was far greater than anticipated.
People sign onto the wireless network using a Google Mail user identification and will not have to watch advertising in return for access, according to the company.
"The experience is no different than if you were surfing the Internet at home," Sacca said. "It is a completely free network. You don't have to watch any ads."
The only other WiFi project Google is working on is a partnership with Atlanta, Georgia-based EarthLink to cloak San Francisco with free Internet access, Sacca said.
"We are not going to build networks in any other cities," Sacca said. "We are really going to focus on making this work and work well. We have a lot of work in front of us here and in San Francisco as well."
© 2006 Agence France-Presse
To add a comment,
Please log in:
Don't have an account?
Register now to comment on stories and stay up to date on important events and issues in the Middle East with our newsletter.