Municipal Wireless is stalled.

The dream of wireless networks bathing cities in free and pervasive internet access has come to an end, at least for now. As the number of failed or stalled municipal wireless projects continues to rise, the focus has shifted from closing the so-called digital divide to why plans for such networks, in only a year's time, seem to be dissolving almost daily.

Last week, San Francisco, Chicago and St. Louis all announced significant and perhaps fatal roadblocks in their municipal Wi-Fi projects.

I don't know if it's a sign of similar problems, but my attempts to sign up for the Toronto Wifi network have all failed... I can never seem to get through the enrollment process.

I'm excited by the possibility of municipal wireless as I see it as a strong stimulus for technology innovation. It may also put some pressure on the large phone and cable to actually improve both their technology and service.