Silicon Valley companies like IBM and Cisco are building a wi-fi network that could cover 40 cities in the California high technology area. It will provide basic free internet that is advertising supported, plus higher speed services to corporates and residents who subscribe.

Closed test networks will be launched later in 2007 in Palo Alto and San Carlos whilst the wider network will build from 2008. Silicon Valley is hoping to lead the growing US trend for municipal wifi, often called muni-fi or metro-fi. In the past year, the Silicon Valley wifi project has been stuck in contractual arguments between the various city officials, funding bodies and infrastructure contractors but it now seems that the air is clearing and the project is on its way.