Minneapolis wifi CBA implementation

Peter Fleck, a member of the Minneapolis Digital Inclusion Fund Advisory Committee, posted some info yesterday about the implementation of the Minneapolis Wireless CBA. Among his findings:

• The wireless provider complied with the initial $500,000 funding requirement. The Committee has so far disbursed about $400,000.
• Although required to put 5% of its pretax earnings into the community fund, the wireless provider has not yet done so.
• The wireless provider has established a "walled garden," which means basically that anybody who can get a wifi signal can gain access to the city's website and some neighborhood websites.
• So far, 51 out of 100 free accounts have been awarded to community technology centers.
• The wireless provider has not helped the Committee with fundraising, as it's obligated to do.
  
• Nor has the wireless provider held biannual community meetings.

The Committee has a meeting Wednesday, and Mr. Fleck hopes that some of these issues can be addressed.