Local authorities in some of Canada’s major cities are arranging to have communications infrastructure installed for use by their citizens, and these projects have something in common — public money is not part of the deal. Ottawa is a recent example. This month, the municipality announced a deal for EION Inc., an Ottawa-based maker of wireless technology, to install WiFi in 25 public buildings, including city hall and several recreation and community centres. The city is not paying for this. In fact, its deal with EION guarantees the city at least $63,000 a year in advertising...
