InfoWorld has published an article about Google having talks with manufacturers of mobile wi-fi devices about how best to take advantage of the municipal Wi-Fi networks.

The meetings have included Sony Corp. who presumably have an interest in any discussion about Wi-Fi networks due in part to the PSP, which has the ability to connect to a network using Wi-Fi.

“The possibility of residents accessing a Google-provided municipal network via Sony’s popular PSP gaming platform is among Google’s hopes as it seeks to build a bigger Wi-Fi network in nearby San Francisco that is free to both the city and users. The company is working through the city’s RFP (Request for Proposal) process. There, as in Mountain View, Google is finding a number of political and technical hurdles, Sacca said.”

The rolling out of city wide networks that allow people to connect to the internet for free is a great concept, but faces many issues, not least from ISP’s who feel that city wide monpolies on internet connections is inevitable with schemes that aim to provide blanket coverage for its residents.