Philadelphia’s plan to have a wireless signal throughout its borders has collapsed, as Earthlink, the firm contracted to build it, has ended negotiations on the network’s future, according to an article on KYW1060.com.

Earthlink says that talks to give away the $17 million network for free to either the city or a nonprofit organization has fallen through. The city says that if it took over, it would cost taxpayers millions each year to operate it. Earthlink plans to cut the service on June 12th. They are also asking a federal judge to give them permission to remove the wireless transmitters that it has installed on utility poles across 80 percent of the city.

Earthlink has been trying to get out of municipal wireless contracts across the country, and has been negotiating with the Nutter administration to get out of Philadelphia’s contract as well. The original goal was to give the city a wireless Internet signal and make it available at low cost to the city’s low-income residents.

Photo courtesy of KYW1060.com.