PORTLAND – Portland is a step closer to having free wireless Internet service available across the city.

Portland has been working for years to become one of the first big cities to make free Wi-Fi universal. City officials said this week that they’ve selected MetroFi of Mountain View, Calif., to administer the project.

The project envisions all residents having access to the service by the end of next year.

The network is intended to improve some wireless city services and create an alternative for people who cannot afford existing Internet services. While the service will be free, city officials said, it will also be slow – about a fifth as fast as high-speed connections via cable or telephone line.

”This partnership … represents a monumental effort to bridge the digital divide,” City Commissioner Dan Saltzman said.