Earthlink to offer free Wi-Fi access in Honalulu's Chinatown

Eartlink loves giving away free wi-fi access, and now Honalulu's Chinatown will be the latest recipient of the company's largesse. However, this time, don't expect the service to stay free:

"EarthLink wants to test its wireless systems in Honolulu," said Keith Rollman, the mayor's information technology adviser. "The pilot project will cover an area from about Fort Street to River Street, Nimitz Highway to Beretania Street, and will include Aala Park."

Earthlink is partner in a number of free Wi-Fi hotspot projects, most notably one with Google in San Francisco. Different metropolitan areas are handling they're deployment of Wi-Fi differently, with some of them placing an emphasis on wide availability at low costs for local residents. Wi-Fi is still not universally accessible in most cities.