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A four-company team that includes Cisco Systems and IBM was selected by a 42-city Silicon Valley government regional consortium in California to build and operate a wireless-communications and Internet-access network spanning nearly 1,500 square miles and handling connectivity for as many as 2.4 million residential, business and visiting users (TelecomWeb news break, Jan. 27).

The Silicon Valley Metro Connect collaboration team - which also consists of two smaller members, Azulstar Networks and SeaKay, along with Cisco and IBM - says it will take on the municipal wireless contract for the Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network that envisions both free and paid 802.11b/g specification services. No value was revealed in the deal, which ostensibly means tax money won't change hands.

The team reportedly beat MetroFi and VeriLAN,the other finalists selected in early August out of an earlier bidding field of seven responses to a request for proposal (RFP). Bidders eliminated earlier were Blue Horizon Group, Community Wireless, Ubiquity Broadband Communications and Next WLAN Corp.

Silicon Valley Metro Connect says it will offer up to 1Mb/s service for the "free base service" and "will include digital divide programs for economically disadvantaged users." It will also offer such premium fee-based services as wireless VoIP and video streaming. Beginning in 2007, the network expects to leverage IEEE 802.16 standards-based wireless, commercially known as WiMAX, in the 2 GHz-11 GHz operating band for both mobile and fixed wireless video, voice and data communications.

The infrastructure will be based on Cisco's mesh wireless technology, with IBM providing network design and integration services as well as applications - including intelligent traffic solutions and automated traffic metering - for public agencies and local utilities. Azulstar will operate the network - at least for the initial 802.11b/g service provisioning - while SeaKay will work with municipal public agencies to customize the network to their needs. It also will spearhead outreach programs "to meet the economic development and social benefit objectives of the network." Silicon Valley Metro Connect's privately owned and operated network will be supported by an advertising-like "sponsorship format model" that "ensures a diverse stream of revenues."

The planned Wi-Fi network is part of the much-touted Wireless Silicon Valley Initiative task force spearheaded by the San Mateo County Telecommunications Authority (SAMCAT), a so-called "joint powers authority" (JPA) consisting of numerous agency and municipal government members. SAMCAT's intent is to offer universal broadband to virtually the entire famed high-tech region, with law-enforcement, fire-department and other emergency-responder personnel among the official interoperable user population.

Brian Moura, chairman of SAMCAT and co-chairman of the Wireless Silicon Valley Initiative, says team members "received high marks" from other communities that have worked with them on similar city-wide and regional wireless network projects. The team also "delivered a convincing message" on addressing key aspects of the Wireless Silicon Valley requirements surrounding technology, system integration, customer service, service delivery, economic development, local portals, Web sites, city applications and digital inclusion.

"We think they have the skills and tools to deliver the goods on this project," Moura added in a prepared statement. SAMCAT is said to have worked out previous region-wide deals on cable-television and fiber-optic communications offerings with RCN subsidiaries and others.

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