To me, this is more than a Philadelphia problem. A lot of large cities have contemplated public wireless only to be shot down by companies, lobbyists, lack of funds, etc. Do you think the next president will be more accommodating to a national broadband strategy? It’s not a sexy issue, but I’d sure like to hear someone say the Internets are important…

Philadelphia’s citywide wireless network, which drew international attention and praise when it was launched, is likely to be scrapped.

EarthLink Inc., which built and maintains the system, announced yesterday that it would end service June 12 and begin dismantling the system’s physical infrastructure soon after.

As recently as two weeks ago, a deal seemed imminent that would have let the network survive and even grow under the ownership of an Ohio-based nonprofit called OneCommunity, all at minimal cost to taxpayers.

That complicated deal collapsed, however, due in part to the city’s unwillingness to commit itself financially to the project, as well as to concerns that Wireless Philadelphia – the small nonprofit with a digital-inclusion mission – would not survive the transition.