Two hours of free outdoor Web surfing will be available by September in the Golden Triangle and parts of the North Side and the lower Hill District, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership said today.

The Downtown advocacy group said it signed a deal last week with Louisville, Ky.-based US Wireless Online to build and operate a wireless Internet network that will offer two hours of free Web access to consumers with the option to purchase more time, faster connection speeds and security. Consumers will have the option to buy more connectivity with subscriptions starting at $7.99 per day, $14.95 per month or $119 per year.

The partnership raised over $365,000 from several local foundations to pay US Wireless Online to begin constructing the network by mounting antennae on more than 50 utility poles Downtown, near PNC Park and Mellon Arena. In turn, the partnership will own the network, but will not earn revenue from it. US Wireless Online will operate and maintain the network and hopes to earn money from subscriptions to the service and advertising revenue, according to the company's Pittsburgh-based chief technology officer Tim Pisula. US Wireless Online will begin testing the service in August, he added.

More details in tomorrow's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.