Minnesota town leads way with solar-power city wireless

The first nodes in the nation's first known solar-powered city Wi-Fi network are about to go live, after a delay related to the asthetics of the poles. City residents didn't like the color of the equipment (white), so brown covers are being added to cover them. The price of being green!

The installation in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, will get its first real-world field tests starting around Labor Day. Meanwhile, construction on the second phase of the ParkWiFi service has begun, with the switch expected to be flipped in late September or early October.

Here's what the solar poles look like.

The project is being handled by Unplugged Cities and ARINC.

OK, so this is a really neat project, but does anyone else find it odd chilly Minnesota is taking the lead with a solar-powered anything. I'm just saying. Hmmm, how long will it take for my hometown in New Jersey to catch on?