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Urban WiFi zones: now San Francisco becomes the hot spot

Few places on the e-commerce map are more conspicuous than San Francisco: Google's attempt to provide a metro WiFi service for the city has therefore attracted more than its share of attention. And now, more than its share of bids, it seems.

Privacy, says Alternet, is at risk as Google and others bid for the contract.

To quote: "Consider the application submitted to the City of San Francisco in February by search giant Google and its partner, the Internet service provider Earthlink. One of six WiFi bids being considered by the City of San Francisco, the Google/Earthlink plan has attracted the most attention. Under this proposal, Google would provide a free but relatively low-speed Internet service available throughout the city (Earthlink would operate a higher-speed service on the same system charging users $20 a month). The costs of operating the 'free' service would be offset by Google's plans to use the network to promote its interactive advertising services."

And the threat to privacy? "Everyone who uses the Google network would first be directed to a portal page, where they would be offered an array of what Google terms personalised consumer products.' Through those products and other technologies, Google plans, according to its proposal, to 'target advertisements to specific geographical locations and to user interests'," says Alternet."

For others, the excitement mounts because of the number. Six? Nobody thought there would be that many bids says Computer Partner running an IDG news feed: "The City and County of San Francisco is expected by early April to announce its choice from among responders to a request for proposals (RFPs) that the city put out last year."

Apparently, the list has been shortened to three out of the original six bids, and the final choice may be unveiled any day now, but, who has lost out? "Google and EarthLink have not been told they are out of the running," said EarthLink spokesman Jerry Grasso. City officials could not be reached for comment says the report.