Last year, Long Island decided to take a chance on a small wireless provider called E-Path Communications for creating an ambitious wireless Internet network. The goal was to cover 750 square miles of Long Island with a Wi-Fi network that would be entirely funded by the private sector. As we’ve seen with the failure of similar projects across the nation, these networks just don’t get built without taxpayer money to support them.

That problem seems like it could be the case for the E-Path network which is facing delays. The target date for the pilot part of the network was back in January and they seem to be nowhere near launching that project. In the meantime, they’ve failed to deliver on other municipal wireless network promises in states from New Jersey to Florida. People involved with the projects have said that there are only delays, not canceled plans, but it’s questionable as to whether E-Path can do what others have failed to do in this industry.