Questions about Wireless Minneapolis service?

US Internet is building and will own the “Wireless Minneapolis” network. Minneapolis City government is signed up as an anchor customer for this wireless network service.

Contact US Internet to find out when the Wireless Minneapolis service will be available in your neighborhood and to subscribe for service. Call (952) 253-3262 or visit the US Internet Web site.

How Wireless Minneapolis will offer community benefits

Free “Wireless Communities” Accounts Guidelines & Application (Word)


As part of the Wireless Minneapolis contract, US Internet is providing a comprehensive set of community benefits that goes far beyond what any other city in the country has negotiated.

The groundbreaking set of community benefits in the Minneapolis contract leverages the success of the network to help bridge the digital divide. Highlights include:

  • USI Wireless will provide $500,000 to create a “digital inclusion fund” that will be used to promote affordable Internet access, low-cost hardware, local content and training. In addition, US Internet will direct a minimum of five percent of the network’s net profits to a digital inclusion fund for ongoing digital inclusion efforts. In total, it is expected that about $11 million will go into the digital inclusion fund over the 10-year term of the contract.
  • Free limited-time service will be available in some public locations, such as parks and plazas in Minneapolis.
  • A free “walled garden” level of wireless service – Minneapolis Civic Garden – is now available to people throughout the city for important neighborhood, government, and community services information.
  • Designated community technology centers will receive free wireless access.

The community benefits package was created with strong input and feedback from the community. In partnership with C-CAN (a non-profit network of local organizations using technology to serve their communities), a Digital Inclusion Task Force received public comments and feedback about what community benefits are important to help bridge the digital divide. Based on that input, the task force created a Community Benefits report that served as a basis for Wireless Minneapolis contract negotiations with US Internet.

March 24, 2009