Municipal Wi-Fi turns an entire city into a wireless access zone, making access to the Internet a universal public service. This is usually done by providing municipal broadband via Wi-Fi to large parts of an area by deploying a mesh network.
The service has been deployed in several U.S. cities -- including Houston, San Jose, Indianapolis, El Paso, Denver, Minneapolis, and Cleveland.
Given the size of the government / consulting / education / tourism industries, the limitations on urban development (historical structures, real estate costs, and height limitations), the "public" nature of the the nation's capital, and the large student / teleworker / travelers population, it makes sense to undertake this project -- starting in the Mall / Downtown areas spreading outward.