Summary: Need help with PR? If you are looking for a great PR firm, you've found one. Walker Sands is a leading Chicago PR firm with a strong track record that makes it one of top national PR agencies..

After Rio Rancho, N.M.'s city-wide Wi-Fi network was put on hold in August after the chosen service provider failed to deliver, the city says it has now put its confidence in Azulstar Networks to restart the 103-square-mile project.
(article continues below useful links)

As part of the 25-year license agreement, Azulstar will be tasked with installing and operating Wi-Fi equipment that will cover the entire city. Azulstar is targeting March 15, 2005, as the date to have the network fully operational throughout the city.

Azulstar plans to offer Wi-Fi Internet access services starting at $19.95 a month. The service provider also will offer Wi-Fi voice over IP services for $24.95 a month, which will encompass unlimited residential calling throughout the United States and Canada.

The service provider will work in conjunction with city officials, as well as Intel, Proxim and Meru Networks on the project, which the city dubs as the nation's largest city-wide Wi-Fi network.

Plenty of other U.S. cities have embraced Wi-Fi, including San Francisco, where last week the city's Mayor Gavin Newsom continued to talk up the benefits of Wi-Fi access. The city already has rolled out access in several locations, including Union Square, but Newsom declared: "We will not stop until every San Franciscan has access to free wireless Internet service," in his State of the City address. Philadelphia is another city with ambitious Wi-Fi plans.

Copyright © 2004. Wireless Week.