A short time ago, things went sideways in San Francisco's bid to bring municipal wireless to the city. It's a long story to tell, so I won't. Suffice it to say that I think it's a real shame. Even worse, however, is that there is a distinct voice missing from the muni wifi debate in San Francisco and around the country: YOURS.

As has happened with every technology revolution (Web 2.0 anyone?), we are following the Roller Coaster of acceptance with municipal wireless. When cities and towns first started partnering and building service a few years ago, there was little awareness. But once it caught on, it caught on big. In the last year, we've been experiencing the swell of enthusiasm as a few major cities have begun to bring their networks online. Now we've hit the most interesting part of the ride: the drop.

GigaOM [1], a tech news and opinion blog, has recently commented on this stage [2] in our relationship with municipal wireless:

MuniFi, to some extent, has been a victim of putting expectations ahead of reality. MuniFi used to be seen as the panacea of all our broadband problems, giving us the ability to roam free and make VoIP calls while watching the great Meteor shower. Reality turned out to be a bit different.

One of the reasons why MuniFi seems disappointing is because the “selling” of the concept involved offering consumers Internet access. Yet a recent report from Forrester Research shows [3] only a tiny percentage of general consumers using muni wireless. Craig Settles, an independent consultant, points out that consumer is the weak link.

If the MuniFi networks focused on public service, government, first responder and educational services, it would be easier to make a business case.

And that's where YOU come in. You are the folks who are in the field every day, working with the people who most need municipal wireless. Municipal wireless is not about cheaper Internet for people who could afford it anyway. It's about delivering a vital resource to communities that would not otherwise have access. It's about really, truly, and finally addressing the digital divide.

Craig Settles, the consultant mentioned in the GigaOM article, wrote a study about the Economic Development Impact of Municipal Wireless [4] (PDF file). It's a good report, and a step in the right direction. But what about the Social Development Impact? We, as a sector, need to take it upon ourselves to develop that data, tell those stories, and show that Municipal Wireless is a social justice issue, not a consumer savings issue. We need to be advocates in our community.

Or the ride may end here, and that wouldn't be fair to anyone.