Silicon Valley gets metro Wi-Fi

A consortium which includes Cisco Systems and IBM has been selected to deploy a wide-area wireless internet network covering 1,500 square miles of Silicon Valley in California. The group, Silicon Valley Metro Connect, intends to cover the region - which is home to 2.4 million people - with Wi-Fi hotspots. According to a report from Associated Press, the network will be privately owned and run but Metro Connect will use sponsors to fund a free basic wireless internet service for residents. More advanced paid-for packages will also be available.