Free WiFi for all of Cambridge?

While Boston struggles to build wireless coverage in a select number of neighborhood commercial districts, MIT and Cambridge are looking at blanketing the entire city of Cambridge with WiFi by the end of the year:

... The initial testing phase and service will be provided by MIT free of charge to Cambridge, Kurt L. Keville '90, a research specialist at the Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies at MIT, said in an e-mail. But if MIT has underestimated the traffic on the network, the service will have a charge rather than being free; however, Keville said he does not anticipate any problems because MIT's bandwidth is "ridiculously high." Cambridge has over 100,000 residents. ...

They'll be using Roofnet "mesh" technology, developed at MIT, that reduces the costs of the network by turning each participant into a router, reducing the number of dedicated routers needed. A Roofnet is also being built at the South End's Tent City.

Note: To be fair, in addition to the Boston Main Street program, every Boston Public Library branch offers free WiFI.

MIT Tech link via Ben Brophy, who says:

... They are focusing first on housing development, so we might get early access since we are near the Putnam projects (and that’s a good thing for once!). ...