Cablevision Systems must be getting traction with its Optimum Wi-Fi public Internet access gambit in Long Island, because on Wednesday it said it has more than doubled its footprint already.
The broadband service, free to cable modem subscribers, was launched last month. It will ultimately cost the cableco more than $300 million by the time it reaches its goal of blanketing its tri-state area. For now, Optmum is available in Connecticut, Long Island, and in Westchester and Dutchess Counties, N.Y., in high traffic areas like rail platforms.
The Optimum business model is a bit of a redux of the failed muni wireless approach to providing public Internet access via meshed Wi-Fi.
