• by Shankar Gupta , April 7, 2006

The city of San Francisco has selected Google, in partnership with EarthLink, to provide free Wi-Fi service to the city. The move potentially gives the search giant access to thousands of consumers who can be locally targeted via individual wireless ports.

The Google-EarthLink bid beat out five other bidders--including CBG, MetroFi, NextWLAN, SF Metro Connect, and Razortooth Communications. EarthLink already has contracts to provide Wi-Fi services in two other California cities and Philadelphia.

The plan reportedly involves Google-EarthLink providing two tiers of service: a $20-a-month plan at 1 Mpbs and a free ad-supported service at the slower rate of 300 kpbs. Reportedly, Google will use locally targeted ads to monetize the free service. With the search giant able to locate users within 200 feet of their location, ads potentially could be targeted on a block-by-block basis.

The search giant would not confirm or deny such reports; a Google spokeswoman said the company doesn't yet know how the free service will be monetized. But in September 2004, developers employed by Google filed for a patent on a "method and system to provide advertisements based on wireless access points."

The city still must negotiate contracts with Google and EarthLink.