Dozens of North American cities have announced plans to build and manage wireless broadband networks. This textual analysis is a side-by-side comparison of documents used to build up and break down the case for municipal Wi-Fi (shorthand for wireless fidelity). It examines how officials in Philadelphia—and in Atlanta and Minneapolis—use “public good” principles to frame their arguments for a potentially massive taxpayer investment in wireless technology, whereas the telecommunications industry frames city-run networks as risky and unnecessary. The industry and municipal documents frequently contradict and challenge each other—a reality that highlights the manner in which information is manipulated to “prove” even clashing arguments and influence the public debate over Wi-Fi policy.
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