The Seattle-Bellevue-Everett-Tacoma city narrowly surpassed former unwired leaders San Francisco and Portland, Ore., which finished second and fourth, respectively, in this year's ranking of the top 100 U.S. markets for wireless Internet accessibility.

According to Intel's third annual "Most Unwired Cities" survey, conducted by Bert Sperling of Sperling's Best Places, this year's top 10 "Most Unwired" regions in the USA are:

1. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett-Tacoma, Wash.
2. San Francisco-San Jose-Oakland, Calif.
3. Austin-San Marcos, Texas
4. Portland, Ore.-Vancouver, Wash.
5. Toledo, Ohio
6. Atlanta
7. Denver
8. Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, N.C.
9. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.
10. Orange County, Calif.

In addition to revealing the unwired rankings of the top 100 MSAs, the survey shows how connecting to wireless Internet access points (hotspots) with notebook PCs and other wireless-enabled devices is becoming part of everyday life in America. According to the survey, hotspots are spreading beyond hotels and airports and popping up in a wider variety of places -- from bowling alleys and Laundromats to marinas and golf courses.