Municipal wireless internet

Introduction
In the late 1990s, hundreds of municipalities throughout the country considered whether they should provide broadband Internet access to their residents, and if so, how. During this time, some municipalities installed costly fiber optic or cable wiring. More recently, with the development of less-costly wireless Internet technology, municipalities also have explored and, in some cases played a role in the deployment of, municipal wireless broadband Internet networks (“wireless broadband” or “wireless Internet”). These municipalities have done so either in conjunction with an outside entity, such as a private Internet service provider (“ISP”), or in their own capacity as a municipal provider of wireless Internet service (“municipal wireless Internet” or “municipal wireless”).