WiFi For All

The other night, I attended a soirée for the Launch of Wireless Philadelphia.

Wireless Philadelphia is the non-profit organization that — along with Earthlink as its corporate partner — is working to make Philadelphia the country's first completely wireless major city. As the Into to Wireless Philadelphia says:

Wireless Philadelphia was created to make high-speed Internet access more available and affordable through Digital Inclusion. WP will help all citizens, businesses, schools, and community organizations embrace this broadband technology . . . Philadelphia has officially begun the process for making affordable wireless high-speed internet service available to every neighborhood in the City.

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Free access will be available in certain public spaces such as parks and public areas. These include Love Park, the Historic Square Mile, Penn’s Landing, Cobbs Creek Environmental Center, Hunting Park, Wissahickon Environmental Center, Pennypack Environmental Center, FDR Park and Penn Treaty Park.

As someone who is fairly techie, I salute that. Although I am not a major fan of the current occupant of the Mayor's office, I believe the Mayor does deserve credit for promoting this concept. I applaud the vision to provide digital access to many who might not otherwise have a way to be part of the technology that has become a routine part of our lives for many of us -- much in the way that TV, radio and telephone service is.

The effort to get things on-line has had its ups and downs, see e.g., Joshua's Breitbart's blog, which is not surprising given the fact that this an untried, innovative project. There is now a Proof of Concept (or test) Area, covering North Philly and a 15 mile radius -- so things are about ready to go live. I just love the idea of having wireless access throughout the city!

There was a Launch Party fundraiser at the Old City penthouse loft of Mary Patel & Joseph Barber, a home they designed to hold parties. I know the new CEO of WP Greg Goldman and a few of the WP Board members, so I went to the party with my law partner.* We had an enjoyable evening sipping wine on the rooftop garden, listening to some great live jazz, with a view of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, the PSFS building and the lit-up city skyline.

The weather was perfect and for us, it was fun to mix with a whole different crowd -- not so many doctors or lawyers.

As Sarah Schmalbach of Philly Style put it, in Lush Penthouse Launch of Wireless Philadelphia:

As seen from the rooftop garden of Mary Patel and Joseph Barber's three-story penthouse on 3rd Street, the city sparkled with possibilities and optimism—two of the driving forces behind the Internet-for-all movement.

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The penthouse, the prosecco and the well-heeled crowd came together for a nearly perfect launch party.

(*As I tell my partner all the time when we attend events together, you can't just introduce another female as your partner, you must say law partner)

(Photos via Philadelphia Life, from the Philadelphia Business Journal and Philadelphia STYLE Magazine)

Tags: Philadelphia, Philly, Wireless Philadelphia