Anaheim opens Wi-Fi network | CNET News.com: "He expects 95 percent of the outdoor area and 90 percent of the indoor area of Anaheim to have access to the network, even if indoor use will require the use of signal-enhancing hardware.

Residents can sign up for $21.95 per month, and Anaheim's 20 million yearly visitors--attracted mainly by Disneyland--can sign up for shorter sessions.

No free service will be provided. The network is entirely subscription-funded. EarthLink expects 15,000 to 20,000 of the 340,000 residents to sign up for what it calls an 'Open Access Model.'

'We are opening a new chapter of broadband competition in the U.S.,' said Betty, pointing to the fact that other Internet service providers will be allowed to sell access on the EarthLink network."

tags: distribution scale infrastructure