GigaOM

Rockford, home to more than 150,000 people in the third largest city in Illinois  is planning to build out its own muni wireless networks. The community will be using services of Airpath Wireless, and ROC-net Services, a Northern Illinois-based regional co-operative of local technology companies and communities. 5G Wireless Communications will provide the hardware. The plan is to offer wireless access over a mixed use network to local local healthcare organizations, colleges and universities. The city footprint will start with an eight square mile radius of open wireless access with a combination of free and fee-based services. ROC-net plans to purchase and ligh currently “dark” optical fiber running through the region.