Residents and businesses in Lancaster city and other municipalities throughout the state could enjoy free or low-cost Internet access under legislation proposed by state Rep. Mike Sturla.

If passed, House Bill 327 would allow municipalities to establish wireless Internet access (Wi-Fi) systems in their communities.

Sturla's legislation, which has been referred to the House Consumer Affairs Committee, seeks to amend Act 183 of 2004, which was enacted to allow telecommunications companies to create broadband systems, but it essentially ended municipalities' ability to establish Wi-Fi systems, he said.

Philadelphia, Kutztown, Wilkes-Barre and a few other Pennsylvania municipalities, however, were allowed

to implement systems because they were already in the process of planning them before the law was enacted.

"We should allow other municipalities to utilize this technology, to be fair," Sturla said. "For the majority of people just doing everyday transactions on the Internet, this would be a perfectly acceptable way of doing business."

Municipalities also would be allowed to establish authorities to create wireless systems, Sturla said. Such authorities would include neighborhood improvement districts, councils of governments and downtown improvement districts.

Sturla said creating a wireless system for a municipality might be more economically feasible in a city than in a rural community.

A citywide Wi-Fi system would make Lancaster city more desirable for economic development, he said.

"We would be able to say to any small businessperson, artists or families that, in addition to other advantages the city has to offer, you now don't have to pay $25 dollars a month for Internet service if you live in the city," he said. "That's $300 dollars a year you can put toward your mortgage; that's $300 dollars' worth of groceries you can buy."

Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray agreed a wireless Internet system would be good for the city.

"For a city our size, it would be relatively inexpensive," he said. "It would benefit our residents, our students and our businesses. It would be an advantage for businesses moving into the city."

Gray said he proposed the idea during his campaign but placed it on the back burner because of the current law.

Using results from research completed then, he estimates a wireless system for the city would cost about $500,000.

But taxpayers wouldn't be on the hook for the costs under his plan, the mayor said.

"We looked into possibly financing it with ads and commercial sponsorship," Gray said. "(Sponsors) could use that as public service, and it would help get their names out there."

A wireless system in the city also makes sense in light of Gov. Ed Rendell's plan to provide laptop computers for all high school students, Sturla said.

With a wireless system, having the laptops would mean students could more easily get updated assignments from teachers or do their homework virtually anywhere, he said.

"If the governor is going to put a laptop in every ninth- through 12th-graders' hand, and I can get them ... wireless from school all the way home, that does a whole lot to infuse technology into every household in the city," Sturla said.

School District of Lancaster Superintendent Rita Bishop agreed a citywide wireless Internet system would greatly benefit students in the district.

In addition to helping students improve their computer skills, the system would benefit parents and the school district, she said.

"It would be wonderful to have wireless so that our parents can have more access," she said. "It would allow our parents to have connectivity, which is always good because it improves communications."

Sturla said he is encouraged by the positive social impact the wireless Internet system would have for students and their families in the city.

"I think it's a huge way to bridge the digital divide here," he said. "(Students) can take it home so that their parents will now have access to the Internet and a computer, and they can actually teach their parents about what this whole thing is."

E-mail Nathan Lee Gadsden at ngadsden@lnpnews.com.