GigaOm reports that Google's municipal Wi-Fi network has gone live in Mountain View, Ca. following an investment of nearly $1-million. While Google apparently has no intentions of expanding into other markets, it has put the spotlight on the muni Wi-Fi, which is being enthusiastically embraced by cities across North America, including Toronto. The question is if they (including Google) build it, will they come? In other words, does the creation of a wireless network mean it will be used other than by a small group of business people, tourists and geeks? Sure, a muni Wi-Fi network is pretty cheap to roll out but can you get a good return on investment if doesn't get a lot of traffic? Arguably, cities building Wi-Fi have other mandates, some of them have nothing to do with wireless users. Some cities, for example, are simply looking to look cutting-edge so they can attract well-paying high-tech jobs. Others cities have supplementary goals. City-owned Toronto Hydro, for example, which will launch a Wi-Fi network next month, will use wireless technology to read "smart" hydro meters that will be installed in each household - thereby reducing the need and cost of having someone manually read the meter, having the homeowner do it themselves. For the most part, however, many cities will discover their Wi-Fi networks will probably collect a lot of dust but they will probably be enjoyed by the small handful of people who actually use them.
Update: Speaking of Wi-Fi, Boingo has just raised $65-million in new private equity. The round was led by Mitsui & Co. with new investors Mitsui Corporate Development Funds, Steepoint Capital Partners and Red Rock Ventures. Boingo has now raised $95-million from three rounds.