The MobilPro Corporation says it’s pulling out of downtown Sacramento, because city officials changed the deal reached with them last year. City officials chose MobilPro to set up a wireless broadband network in the downtown. The higher-speed access would have paying customers. Lower speed access would be free to all. And city government would be a paying customer. 

A MobilPro executive says the city decided it wanted free access for everyone … and MobilPro should sell advertising to underwrite it. MobilPro refused … with an abrupt announcement Friday morning, ending all negotiations. The company says the free service in Cesar Chavez Park, across from city hall, will end shortly.