The unnamed, independent organization will give the city more control over the Wi-Fi network than would choosing an outside Internet service provider to run the network, with hopes of keeping wireless Internet service costs lower, said William "Bo" Holland, the city's acting CIO who has met regularly with members of the mayor's Wireless Task Force in recent months.

Holland spoke in an interview just prior to an announcement today by Mayor Thomas Menino and task force members. After two years in the acting post, Holland today was named head of intergovernmental relations for the city, and Menino announced William Oates as the new city CIO.

"We believe the nonprofit route may be the best way to bring low-cost service to every neighborhood while providing a platform for innovation unlike any in the nation," Menino said in a statement. "By keeping the network open, we believe we can create a hotbed of entrepreneurial activity, which will spur economic growth and job creation."

According to the recommendations (http://www.cityofboston.gov/wireless/Boston%20Wireless%20Task%20Force%20Report%20-%20Final.pdf) of the Wireless Task Force, the new organization will oversee construction and technology integration and then own and operate the network.

The concept of using a nonprofit entity to run the service is unique as far as Boston officials can determine, and was designed to avoid problems encountered in other big cities weighing municipal Wi-Fi, Holland said.