July 3, 12:48 PM 2
Municipal fiber-optic network is a necessity, says nonprofit organization
A municipal fiber-optic network would “address poverty, the digital divide, environmental sustainability, the need for civic engagement, education, and many other concerns,” said Reclaim the Media’s executive director, Jonathan Lawson, in a Seattle PostGlobe report yesterday. Michael McGinn similarly views a municipal fiber-optic network as an opportunity to boost the economy and create jobs, to close the digital divide, and to give consumers a better deal. Reclaim the Media, a Seattle nonprofit organization, is urging the City of Seattle to build a municipal fiber-optic network within six years, the PostGlobe reported, and McGinn has promised to build such a network when elected mayor.
Federal stimulus funds could partly finance a municipal fiber-optic network, Reclaim the Media noted, because the federal American Recovery and Renewal Act Initial allocated $7.2 billion for local governments to build modern Internet broadband infrastructure.
Reclaim the Media touts many benefits of a municipal fiber-optic network:
EQUAL ACCESS: “Low-income households and people of color are about 30 percent less likely than higher income or white folks to have an Internet connection at home in Seattle.” A municipal fiber-optic network would erase that gap.
ENERGY SAVINGS, SMART-GRID TECHNOLOGY: Fiber-optic technology can result in “substantial energy savings through ’smart-grid’ technology, with related cost savings for consumers.”
A BETTER DEAL FOR CONSUMERS: “Such a network could revolutionize our experience of Internet, video and other communications services, providing low-cost service with speeds and bandwidth capable of handling even two-way high-definition video.”
CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT: “Having all homes and offices connected through a single public-owned network would provide other benefits, including greater participation in e-Democracy initiatives.”
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I would love to see Mayor McGinn move forward on his promise of a municipal fiber-optic network. The current status quo is far from ideal. You have either Comcast that is nothing but a one-horse race for fast internet (though it could be a lot faster) or you have Qwest for [a less] fast network. Neither option is too appealing. Their prices are high and their management of the network leaves a lot to be desired. I have had to move my email over to a third party as Comcast continually blocked my email. My only recourse was to request (and ask “pretty please”) to enable my “paid for” email. Suffice it to say my third party option is superior, but at a cost of an additional provider for something that I have to pay Comcast for anyway.
Please, let’s move on this post-haste. Let’s also integrate additional services if possible (e.g. television). It would be nice to have an additional option to the current choices!
Let’s go for it!