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Silicon Valley leaders Tuesday picked a team that includes technology companies Cisco Systems and IBM to build and operate a free and affordable wireless network for up to 2.4 million people across the region.

The Silicon Valley Metro Connect team, which also includes Azulstar and the non-profit SeaKay, hopes to begin building the 1,500 square-mile network this fall, with the first of about 40 cities and communities able to access free wireless Internet early next year, said Diana Hage, director of wireless services at IBM.

Once complete, the network would be available for free outside and inside some homes close to the wireless access points. Internet access at higher speeds would be available for a fee.

``This is really a consortium and partnership between business and community and local authorities who are driving to keep Silicon Valley at the edge,'' Hage said. ``We're going to put all of our best players on this to make this a reality.''

The team faces what some believe is a monumental challenge: persuading some 40 communities to participate with the same wireless provider.

Metro Connect, bidding against a handful of other companies, jumped the biggest hurdle Tuesday when two large regional groups -- the San Mateo County Telecommunications Authority and Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network -- agreed to recommend the team as the area's preferred wireless provider.

Metro Connect beat out two others -- VeriLan and MetroFi -- that were chosen as finalists last month.

Tuesday's recommendation means that Metro Connect will be able to hammer out a model contract with local leaders. The contract will then be used as the basis for separate negotiations with the more than 40 cities, counties and communities that have agreed to participate.

But there's no guarantee that every city will sign up.

``We were trying to avoid having Metro Connect negotiate city by city,'' said Seth Fearey, project leader of the Wireless Silicon Valley initiative by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network. ``It's just painful. Silicon Valley is fundamentally a collection of small towns and . . . it's a lot of time and lots of money.''

The task force hopes the model agreement will streamline the process, making it easier for communities to agree to Metro Connect hanging equipment known as WiFi access points on light poles and other public structures throughout each city. There are more than 30,000 potential WiFi access points in the proposed coverage area.

The model agreement will outline what kind of equipment can be hung and what each city will get in return.

Several cities throughout Silicon Valley already have free wireless access, including Mountain View where Google launched free access to nearly all residents this summer. MetroFi, which is based in Mountain View, already has free networks in San Jose, Santa Clara, Sunnyvale and Cupertino.

Officials for Mountain View and Cupertino said residents seemed happy with their current free service and they would be unlikely to add another network like Metro Connect. However, both said they would consider the possibility of letting the current network work with the Metro Connect system.

``What's really the bottom line for Cupertino and ultimately for Silicon Valley is: `Is this a viable business model?' '' asked Rick Kitson, public communication manager for Cupertino. ``The technology works, it's the business model that is really the tricky part. We're happy to have MetroFi while they're working on this other program.''

Metro Connect's 198-page proposal details a six-tier pay system that ranges from a slower free connection (download speed of 1 megabit per second) to high-speed access that costs up to $59.95 a month (download speed of 3 megabits per second). The network would be a wireless mesh, or a web of access points like WiFi antennas that communicate with one another.

The network will also offer a free kids service, which includes filtering for adult content, and special services for municipalities.

Silicon Valley leaders touted the benefits of having one provider for all municipal operations, such as public safety operations.

Dan Fenton, a co-chair of the Wireless Silicon Valley project and president and chief executive of the San Jose Convention Center and Visitor's Bureau, said it was possible that all emergency services could be on the same network.

``People need to see the value of regionalization, the ability to move seamlessly throughout the valley on one platform,'' he said.

Copyright © 2006. The Mercury News.