This is just sad... Verizon got all bent out of shape when the City of Philadelphia tried to offer free or low-cost citywide wireless internet access, including in low-income neighborhoods. So Verizon lobbied heavily, and it looks like they won: Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell just signed legislation that gives phone companies (like Verizon) the right to deny municipalities the ability to build their own wireless networks. See "Law restricts municipal Wi-Fi networks" for more details.