From CNET.com and the New York Times, Google: No plans for national Wi-Fi service

There are roughly 300 open contracts for municipal Wi-Fi services around the country, and [Chris] Sacca noted that Google had not been an active bidder for any of the contracts, including a plan for a service covering the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

So Google—logically—has decided that it is not in the infrastruture or access business. What I found interesting, was a comment by Chris Sacca:

“I think there wouldn’t be a Net neutrality debate in this country if we really had a competitive environment for access,” said Chris Sacca, a Google executive who heads special initiatives for the company. “The Internet is not pervasive as it could be, or democratic.”

Really, the more technology changes, often the same inequities remain. Replace the word “Internet” with “all information and communciations technology” and you have essentially distilled CTFC’s problem statement: Technology should be pervasive and democratic. But it isn’t.

Part of our goal in supporting community wireless—that is, wireless initiatives initiated, operated, and utilized by local communiites—rather than municipalities is that we believe there is a missing element that community initiatives can bring to such an effort. That element is the fusion of community networks, empowerment, and social networking.

That is why CTFC has sponsored wireless initiatives in downtown urban centers, the expanse of rural Indian reservations, and the connection of affordable housing developments.