Abstract

Many U.S. metro cities’ municipal wireless projects have been delayed or canceled. Cost forecasting, market penetration rates, and changing technologies are factors that contribute launch failure. Although larger cities have tried, smaller towns are more successful due to the lack of commercial competition. This paper takes the issues of price, cost, and market share of WiFi municipal wireless networks in the city of Philadelphia as an example. This paper finds that ignoring private broadband market providers, cost is underestimated and market penetration is overestimated, which leads to project contractors withdrawing from municipal projects where private competition is fiercest.

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