The city of Pasadena, California said Tuesday that it had selected EarthLink to enter into negotiations to build a 23-square mile wireless network. 1MBps service would be provided at a low cost, with special programs aimed at offering further discounts to low-income residents of the city.

"EarthLink is pleased to have been selected to unwire the City of Pasadena," municipal networks unit president Donald Berryman said in a statement. "Our company has deep ties to the City, and we look forward to building a Wi-Fi network that delivers affordable broadband to its residents, visitors and city workers."

EarthLink has had a corporate presence within Pasadena since 1994, and currently has 400 employees working in the city.

As with other municipal Wi-Fi networks where EarthLink has agreed to provide service, the company would allow "open access," where competitors would be able to purchase access at a wholesale price and then resell it to consumers. Companies such as PeoplePC have already begun operating under the program in other cities where the networks have been launched.

The city of Pasadena will use the network for its city departments, allowing officials to operate out of the office more efficiently, and work in the field for longer periods of time.

Tropos Networks MetroMesh Wi-Fi routers would be placed on light poles, and EarthLink would deploy Motorola's MOTOwi4(TM) portfolio of products across the network, it said. EarthLink did not specify when it expected the network to be available for use.