Hi John <br><br>Sad to hear it ----- but not unexpected<br><br>We are moving our entire business to Boulder CO, were they really understand the pursuit of excellence<br><br>If you ever want to do business up there let me know<br>
<br>Good luck in La La Manana Land<br><br>( : ( : pete<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, May 7, 2010 at 5:12 PM, John Brown <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:john@citylinkfiber.com">john@citylinkfiber.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">CONTACT:<br>
John Brown<br>
CityLink Fiber Holdings of Santa Fe, LLC<br>
505 938 6309<br>
<a href="mailto:john@citylinkfiber.com">john@citylinkfiber.com</a><br>
<br>
CITYLINK HALTS GIGABIT FIBER PROJECT FOR SANTA FE NEW MEXICO<br>
<br>
<br>
SANTA FE, NM -- CityLink today announces that it has decided to abandon<br>
its project to build an open access, neutral fiber optic network in the<br>
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico.<br>
<br>
The company has reviewed the latest draft of the proposed Master<br>
Ordinance and continues to find significant ambiguity with the language.<br>
The company has repeatedly asked the City Attorney to clarify the<br>
language and has not received any response from the City Attorney on the<br>
requested clarifications. Upcoming City Council meetings are closed to<br>
public comment. Except for the final meeting when City Council will vote<br>
on the ordinance. At that time it is too late to make changes to the<br>
documents.<br>
<br>
The company is also concerned that the City maybe setting itself up for<br>
more litigation given that certain sections of the ordinance appear to<br>
create different classes of providers. Some providers may not have the<br>
newer, additional expenses that CityLink would face. Yet, other<br>
sections imply that existing providers would be forced in to the new<br>
terms and also have higher costs. This ambiguity creates significant<br>
legal risk for the City and for potential franchisees.<br>
<br>
Certain sections of the Master Ordinance would make it financially<br>
impossible to deploy economical Fiber to the Home (FTTH) or to Small<br>
Businesses. According to the current Master Ordinance, the company<br>
would have to pay a PER CUSTOMER land use application fee of up to<br>
$2500, plus the cost of posting notices, mailing letters, holding<br>
meetings and other requirements as may be set by the City.<br>
<br>
"These City mandated additional costs more than TRIPLE the estimated<br>
cost to connect a HOME to High Speed Gigabit fiber optic services", said<br>
company President John Brown. "When you look at the typical residential<br>
gross revenue potential of $140 a month (internet, voice, video),<br>
subtract the direct costs of goods, and use the remaining to pay off the<br>
construction cost, we go from an average return on investment of 3.3<br>
years out to 10.62 years. This is unacceptable."<br>
<br>
CityLink had proposed to deploy, at its own cost and not using any<br>
public money, a Open Access, Neutral Fiber Optic network. As part of<br>
its proposal the company generally offered the following, AT NOT COST TO<br>
THE CITY and its Citizens:<br>
<br>
* All City / Muni buildings would be connected.<br>
* City would receive 12 strands of dark fiber on all routes.<br>
* All K-12 schools, regardless of public or private, would be connected<br>
to dark fiber.<br>
* All Senior Centers and Community Centers would be connected.<br>
* All Libraries would be connected.<br>
* Up to 20 higher education (college, vocational schools, universities)<br>
facilities.<br>
<br>
"This is a sad day for the citizens, business, our children and<br>
students, and senior citizens of Santa Fe, said Brown. In today's market<br>
where small businesses need to maximize every penny they have, it is<br>
disappointing to see the City create so many high costs for new advanced<br>
technologies. Our fiber optic technologies would have brought several<br>
new national carriers to the market, opened up faster and more reliable<br>
services for business and residential users alike. Instead The City<br>
Different continues to be the City Disconnected."<br>
<br>
The company will always be willing to meet with the City Administration<br>
to work on a Master Ordinance that makes sense for all parties. We look<br>
forward to that potential meeting.<br>
<br>
<br>
###<br>
<br>
<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br>