Authorizing the Council Education Committee to investigate the financial feasibility of the Wireless Philadelphia proposal and its potential impact on eliminating the digital divide experienced by economically disadvantaged children in our City.

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia has embarked on a noble effort to bridge the Digital Divide by creating Wireless Philadelphia to provide wireless broadband internet access at affordable rates, to residents and businesses of the City; and

WHEREAS, Responses to the Request for Proposals were due by June 6, 2005; and

WHEREAS, The Wireless Philadelphia Business Plan assumes an aggressive sign-up rate of customers; and

WHEREAS, Wireless Philadelphia operations must assure its customers quality services in a secure, reliable, broadband wireless network; and

WHEREAS, It is essential to the future of our city that the “Digital Divide” be eliminated and that any effort to bridge the Digital Divide take into consideration the needs of all students of the Philadelphia schools including public, private and parochial; and

WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia faces fiscal obstacles in funding essential City services and we must be assured that the development of a citywide broadband wireless network is practical and financially feasible; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the Council Committee on Education is authorized to fully investigate the financial feasibility of the Wireless Philadelphia proposal; assess its potential impact on bridging the “digital divide” and reports its findings to the whole Council.

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