HOUSTON -- It will soon be a lot easier to use your laptop to get online anywhere in the city of Houston, KPRC Local 2 reported Tuesday.

Houston Mayor Bill White announced that EarthLink has been chosen to build a citywide wireless broadband network.

The Wi-Fi mesh network will provide affordable, high-speed Internet access for those in Houston in two years, officials said.

If approved by city council, the service will be free in 5 percent of the city's public areas, but the remainder of the city will be able to access the network from a range of Internet service providers.

The cost of access for the majority of users will be determined by the Internet providers, however a discounted rate will be available to those that meet certain criteria, officials said.

As a freelance graphic designer, Kelly Hauk works constantly on her laptop computer. She was happy to hear that the city of Houston will go wireless.

"It's a wonderful idea," she said. "It's going to save me a lot of money."

When it goes into affect, Houston will have the largest Wi-Fi network in the country, covering nearly all of the city's 600 square miles by Spring of 2009.

"We had a very competitive process. And I think the choice is going to be somebody that has experience," Houston City Councilman Michael Berry said.

Berry said the move would put Houston above other major cities.

"This is really about improving our economy and being a Wi-Fi city, which in the very near future, most major cities will be," he said.