City of Philadelphia - File #: 070756

• File #: 070756
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 9/20/2007
• In control: Committee on Technology and Information Services
• Title: Authorizing City Council's Committee on Technology and Information Services to hold hearings to evaluate the status of Wireless Philadelphia and its progress toward bridging Philadelphia's Digital Divide, and in furtherance of such evaluation authorizing the issuance of subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under Section 2-401 of the Home Rule Charter.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Rizzo, Councilmember Goode, Councilmember Greenlee, Councilmember Savage, Councilmember Clarke, Council President Verna, Council President Verna, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Reynolds Brown, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Tasco, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Miller, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Blackwell, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember Kenney, Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember O'Neill, Councilmember Campbell, Councilmember Campbell, Councilmember Kelly, Councilmember Kelly

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
12/11/2007	0	Committee on Technology and Information Services	HEARING NOTICES SENT
12/11/2007	0	Committee on Technology and Information Services	HEARING HELD
12/11/2007	0	Committee on Technology and Information Services	RECESSED
9/20/2007	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED & REFERRED
9/20/2007	0	CITY COUNCIL	READ
9/20/2007	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced	Pass

Title
Authorizing City Council's Committee on Technology and Information Services to hold hearings to evaluate the status of Wireless Philadelphia and its progress toward bridging Philadelphia's Digital Divide, and in furtherance of such evaluation authorizing the issuance of subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under Section 2-401 of the Home Rule Charter.
Body
WHEREAS, Internet access is critical for improved educational, employment, health, and life opportunities for residents of Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, Over half of an estimated 600,000 Philadelphia households do not have internet access; and

WHEREAS, Philadelphia Wireless, in partnership with internet provider, EarthLink, and the City of Philadelphia, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization committed to making high speed Internet access more available and affordable to those currently without internet access; and

WHEREAS, Earthlink has disbanded its municipal wireless business unit terminating 900 employees and withdrawn from municipal wireless projects in Houston and San Francisco, but committing to complete the project in Philadelphia; and

WHEREAS, WiFi Philadelphia has distributed about 300 wireless bundles to the economically disadvantaged by the end of June while the object was to distribute 1,000 such bundles in that time frame; and

WHEREAS, As the costs of competing private sector wireless service declines, WiFi Philadelphia may attract fewer marker rate subscribers; and

WHEREAS, It is still unclear what the true costs of municipal wireless service is in terms of the City being the anchor tenant of the system; and

WHEREAS, It is important to understand the consequences for the City of a failed municipal wireless system, if Earthlink pulls out of the WiFi Philadelphia venture; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That City Council's Committee on Technology and In...