City of Pittsburgh officials are poised to sign on to a wireless Internet network that would bring the hot technology Downtown, but it's unclear if a citywide Wi-Fi network could be launched in the near future.

Legislation allowing a wireless Internet, or Wi-Fi, provider to post networking equipment on city-owned light poles Downtown is expected to be introduced in City Council tomorrow.

By the time visitors stream into Pittsburgh for the July All-Star Game, Mayor Bob O'Connor and Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership CEO Michael Edwards want them to be able to fire up their laptops and connect to the Internet from anywhere in the Golden Triangle. The system may tie into another wireless network the Pirates want to deploy in PNC Park.

But at least one bid, by Atlanta-based Internet provider EarthLink, to blanket the entire city with Wi-Fi was rejected by the partnership, which chose Louisville, Ky.-based US Wireless Online, that has local offices in Carnegie to build a Downtown Wi-Fi network.

EarthLink has received attention recently for landing deals to build and operate Wi-Fi networks in cities across the country including Philadelphia and San Francisco, where it will share the work with Internet giant Google Inc.

In Pittsburgh's case, EarthLink came in late in the process, Mr. Edwards said.

"They wanted to go citywide, but we don't represent the entire city," he said. His goal was "to differentiate the real estate Downtown."

Whether the Mayor's office or City Council were asked to consider Earthlink's citywide proposal is unknown, as neither Mr. Edwards nor a spokesman for the Mayor's office returned calls for comment.

City Councilman William Peduto said there were "zero discussions" between him and the partnership over a proposal to build a citywide Internet network, adding, "It's not the PDP's role to negotiate a citywide contract."

Details on Downtown's Wi-Fi network are still being negotiated with US Wireless Online. The company will likely offer free Web surfing for two hours, and the charge for use after that is still being worked out, Mr. Edwards said.

This isn't a done deal, Mr. Edwards stressed. "We don't have a contract, we don't have the money, and we don't have the lampposts yet."

He has approached nine foundations in hopes of raising $525,000. He said the total cost is still under negotiation.

The benefits of even Downtown-only Wi-Fi are many, Mr. Edwards said.

Mobile workers, like salespeople and public safety employees, can use the system in ways only beginning to emerge. Wi-Fi events, like a wireless online game tournament, could improve Pittsburgh's international tech profile.

"This is a launching pad for a much larger wireless network," Mr. Peduto said, adding that he is resurrecting previously scuttled efforts to blanket the city with Wi-Fi access.

The prospects for wireless Internet access in every neighborhood were dismal last April when the 25-member public-private working group Mr. Peduto convened to explore the possibility published a report concluding that the city could not afford it.

In less than a year the climate has shifted, with telecommunications, Internet and cable companies vying to put up the money to build and operate citywide wireless networks.

In some cases they share a cut of the revenues with the city, according to Martin Weiss, professor of telecommunications at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Sciences.

But Dr. Weiss wondered if the partnership's Downtown-only deal could hinder efforts to deploy a citywide network.

Large Internet operators such as Earthlink, he said, may not be as inclined to build a citywide network without exclusive rights to operate in all of its neighborhoods -- especially ones such as Downtown that will likely bring in more receipts.

But, he said, "There are still business opportunities," in other neighborhoods. [Internet operators] still might find it worth their while."

Mr. Peduto is betting they will and said Pittsburgh can capitalize on this shift and "create a new model" that includes allowing several Internet providers to compete to offer their services, agree to operating requirements set by the city, and share a cut of the proceeds.

He said he plans to hold hearings on the Wi-Fi issue in the next few months.

One hurdle to citywide Wi-Fi access is a state law passed in the wake of Philadelphia's efforts to deploy a wireless Internet network, giving "incumbent" telephone companies, such as Verizon Communications Inc., the right to block the municipally run high-speed Internet networks if the municipalities earn money from them.

The law does not apply in the case of the planned Downtown Wi-Fi network, a Verizon spokesman said, because it would not be operated by the city of Pittsburgh.

But the issue could arise, should the city decide to build and operate a Wi-Fi network, Dr. Weiss said.