Wireless plan update

The papers are reporting that the commission charged with working out the details of a provider for Philadelphia's new citywide wireless plan have settled on megalith Earthlink as their finalist.

Assuming the deal stays in place, a team led by the Atlanta company EarthLink Inc. will build and maintain the system at its own expense, said Dianah Neff, the city's chief information officer and also the nonprofit group's leader.

The arrangement, which has yet to be finalized, could dramatically change the contours of Wireless Philadelphia's business plan. Neff had previously estimated spending up to $20 million to build and maintain the network.

Earthlink will be responsible the network, but some portion of the bandwidth will eventually be leased to other internet companies who can compete for customers.