February 8 - 4:50pm EST   Marking a low point for efforts at public Internet, EarthLink has announced the closure of all its operations related to municipal Wi-Fi access, which are now on sale. The Internet service provider's venture effectively stalled in the summer, and will cost its budget $20.7 million. CEO Rolla Huff blames the stoppage on expenses; analysts note that EarthLink asked cities such as San Francisco to help pay for some upfront costs, but they were unwilling, leaving the burden solely on the corporation. [full story]