A study of state and local government technology to be released today concludes that Rhode Island leads the nation in wireless-networks investment.

CDW Government Inc., a national supplier of technology equipment and services to government agencies that conducted the study, found Rhode Island to be the only state to qualify for what it calls "lead investor" in wi-fi, or wireless fidelity, technology. Wi-fi makes Internet access available to computers and other electronic devices via radio waves.

"Rhode Island is the leader in wireless implementation, and there are a number of states that are trying to catch up," said Alan Weiss, director of state and local sales for CDW Government.

The study is based on purchasing data within the company's own database. It does not include data from other companies, Weiss said.

"We do business with every state; we do business with all of the major cities and all of the major counties," he said.

After Rhode Island, the study found, the other leading states for wi-fi investments -- dubbed "early investors" -- are Ohio, Colorado, Utah, California, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming.

The study uses an index to rank the states relative to their sizes and not by dollar amount of purchases. It takes into account purchases by both state agencies and local government.

Weiss pointed to the Rhode Island Wireless Innovation Networks project as an example of the state's wi-fi investment that validates the study's finding that Rhode Island is a leader in the area. The project, otherwise known as RIWINs, is a state-led incentive to establish border-to-border broadband wireless access. IBM is project manager, with a number of other private companies supporting the effort.

"I think, obviously, the size of the state helps," Weiss said.

dmcpherson@projo.com / (401) 277-7350