Politicians in Oakland County, Michigan, a wealthy suburb of Detroit, are currently implementing a plan to cover 910 square miles with free Wi-Fi.¹   San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has been trying to promote free public Wi-Fi and, though the plan has run into serious problems, a non-binding public vote will be held in this November’s municipal election ballot.²   Dozens of city governments have put together municipal Wi-Fi programs,³   though these programs often turn out to be more hype than substance.⁴   The economics behind municipal Wi-Fi are also troubling. As voters and elected officials consider expanding local government’s role in providing or contracting for Internet, there are some other unique questions worth asking.

Politics

Libraries often face disputes over content. From banned books to border-line pornography to filtering the Internet, libraries are often subject to political decision making. Should your mayor to be in a position to filter Internet content? Angry parent groups could take their gripes to city council meetings, and private providers contracting for an exclusive deal may tailor their offerings to win support from activist groups.

Michigan’s Republican Senate Majority Leader blocked access among all senate employees to a liberal blogger’s website earlier this year, though he later relented.⁵   Is it safe to trust politicians with power when it comes to the Internet?

Hate groups

Internet providers often prohibit certain uses in their terms of service. When Earthlink decides it doesn’t want the KKK to use Earthlink’s servers for a website, there are no First Amendment implications. But what about Earthlink doing so as the exclusive provider, or almost exclusive provider, in a town? Or if a local government provides and markets the service itself? Will racist and other unpopular groups be able to bring First Amendment claims to post their views?

Police

The federal government and the PATRIOT ACT are responsible for many electronic privacy concerns. However, local government’s providing or contracting Wi-Fi services should also raise privacy concerns. If your email is housed on servers within a county building, what steps will the sheriff’s department have to go through to get it? Will providers operating under lucrative government contracts be too willing to turn over personal information?