Gavin Newsom appeared on CBS MarketWatch to talk about the state of the Muni Wi-Fi project here in San Francisco.

See video.

He's right on target with his comments. The goal of the project is to provide basic access so that kids can get homework assignments and people can fill out job applications. The city isn't in a position to go head to head with other ISP's nor should they. He announced the project and a deal at a great time – when vendors and service providers were looking for proof of concept opportunities. The window won't be open forever. This ongoing debate around what (how much bandwidth) citizens have a right to for free (ad-sponsored) isn't helping to solve the basic problem. Yes, a good browsing experience requires a fast connection, but 300+ kbps isn't too bad.