It was pretty much a done deal anyway, but Google officially got the OK from the city of Mountain View, California (where Google is based) to supply free citywide WiFi service after submitting their plans a few days ago. The city government has given Google a five-year contract to use city-owned streetlight poles as locations for wireless access points.
It's a nice little coup for Google, but those of us who have been tracking the municipal WiFi movement know that this is pretty much a dress rehearsal for the possibility of them providing citywide service for San Francisco, which they have submitted a bid for and are competing with the likes of EarthLink. All eyes are on EarthLink as they build the Wireless Philadelphia project, so Google has a chance to capitalize on any mistakes their competition may make.
