Google Inc. has teamed up with EarthLink Inc. to craft a citywide Wi-Fi proposal for San Francisco, which closed the RFP process for its wireless broadband initiative on Tuesday.
Cisco Systems Inc. and IBM Corp. have also gotten into the act, joining in on a proposal involving a nonprofit company called SeaKay Inc., according to the city. San Francisco also received four other submissions, from Communications Bridge Global, MetroFi Inc., NextWLAN Corp. and Razortooth Communications LLP. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom kicked off the city"s drive for public wireless Internet access in October 2004, and Google put itself in the spotlight last year with a reply to the city"s initial request for information and comment.