ATLANTA, June 12, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Morris, Manning & Martin LLP represented EarthLink Inc. (Nasdaq:ELNK) in its effort to establish the first contracts with Philadelphia, New Orleans, Anaheim and other cities for implementation of city-wide wireless Internet broadband network services. Larry Street and Sandra Sheets Gardiner, partners at Morris, Manning & Martin, completed negotiation of the agreements.
"Wi-Fi broadband wireless networks are very exciting," said Street. "This technology will change many aspects of communications. These were very interesting and novel transactions. The end result will be that, thanks to EarthLink's innovative business plan and industry leadership, virtually anyone with a computer in Philadelphia, New Orleans and Anaheim can obtain high speed wireless Internet access. Hopefully, this will soon also be true in many other cities, thanks to EarthLink."
The Philadelphia City Council unanimously approved the 10-year contract with EarthLink on May 11. The contract calls for EarthLink to install and operate the nation's largest municipal Wi-Fi broadband network, offering high-speed broadband wireless Internet access throughout the city. The New Orleans City Council approved a similar transaction on May 25. Anaheim chose EarthLink for its Wi-Fi service last fall.
"The firm, working together with EarthLink business team members and attorneys, helped develop EarthLink's municipal Wi-Fi proposals for many cities, then participated in complex negotiations with these cities. We also successfully conducted and concluded agreement negotiations with equipment manufacturers, suppliers and installers," Street says.
These city Wi-Fi networks are intended to provide inexpensive, high-speed Internet access; open access for multiple, competing service providers; free Internet access; daily and weekly access for occasional users and visitors; and small business connectivity.
Street, author of "Law of the Internet" (published by Matthew Bender/Lexis), is the leader of the Technology Group at Morris, Manning & Martin and was the principal legal negotiator for EarthLink in these transactions. Gardiner is also a partner in the Technology Group who has also worked with EarthLink to negotiate and close these and other Municipal Wi-Fi transactions. These attorneys have been involved with the deals since their inception about a year ago. In addition to EarthLink, they represent various technology clients in the computer, software and Internet industry and other large corporate end-users.
Morris, Manning & Martin LLP (www.mmmlaw.com), enjoys national prominence for its technology, intellectual property, corporate finance, securities, litigation, telecommunications, insurance, healthcare, environmental and real estate practices. The firm has offices in Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and Princeton.