The Wireless Silicon Valley Task Force will select one or more proposals in the coming month to set up a wireless Internet network throughout Silicon Valley.
The project, expected to cover 1,500 square miles and include four counties, is a collaborative effort among 40 cities and counties, including Los Altos Hills.
The task force received seven bids from companies and groups of companies, each offering a possible model of how to blanket Silicon Valley in a high-speed broadband network. Local proposals came from Community Wireless in Palo Alto and MetroFi in Mountain View.
Issues at stake include pricing models, such as fee-based subscription or advertising-supported services, as well as access issues, privacy and security, which the proposals address in different ways. After the task force selects a top contender, individual municipal participants can opt in on the service.
