Release Date: Friday, February 29th 2008

Pittsburgh Business Times: Pittsburgh picks aspStation for Downtown WiFi

AspStation president Ed DeHart said his company will continue to run the service at no cost to the PDP. AspStation has maintained the system since the PDP terminated its contract with Kentucky-based US Wireless Online in October, due to US Wireless'' financial problems. That company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Oct. 8.

"The whole idea in putting this system together is that it''s not their fault that their provider disappeared," DeHart said of the PDP. He said his company expects to recoup some of its costs through online advertising.

The terms of Downtown WiFi will remain the same: two free hours a day, then a $14.95 a month access charge after two hours. DeHart said his company is in discussion with several non-profit groups to try to expand WiFi access into parts of the city where people may not be able to afford residential DSL service.

Aside from the WiFi program, aspStation''s customer base is entirely commercial, DeHart said.