<div>The part I don't understand about these approaches (Seattle did something similar in one neighborhood) is how this results in real competition and investment. It seems at best a stopgap... moving from having only 1 or 2 providers to perhaps 3 or 4. This is an improvement, but there is a real limit on how many service providers can share this approach. </div>
<div><br></div><div>And presumably, most service providers are not interested in the investments necessary for universal service, so the benefit generally seem very limited to me. Am I missing something? Thanks</div><div>
<br></div><br clear="all">Christopher Mitchell<br>Director, Telecommunications as Commons Initiative<br>Institute for Local Self-Reliance<div><br><a href="http://www.muninetworks.org" target="_blank">http://www.muninetworks.org</a><br>
<div>@communitynets</div><div>612-276-3456 x209</div></div><br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Dec 10, 2011 at 4:08 PM, Richard Lowenberg <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:rl@1st-mile.com">rl@1st-mile.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Following are some excerpts from an article in today's New Mexican.<br>
To read the entire article, go to:<br>
<a href="http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/City-aims-to-upgrade-Internet-access" target="_blank">www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/City-aims-to-upgrade-Internet-access</a><br>
<br>
<br>
>>A proposal to improve broadband access in the city initially was<br>
>> included on a list of property-tax bond projects that voters will<br>
>> decide on during March's municipal election. However, city councilors<br>
>> last week decided instead to allocate $1 million for the broadband<br>
>> project from a $23 million bond issue that doesn't require voter<br>
>> approval. That bond issue will be paid off with revenues from an<br>
>> existing gross-receipts tax.<br>
<br>
The basic idea, according to Sean Moody, a city Economic Development<br>
Division project planner, is for the city to install the infrastructure<br>
for high-speed Internet — empty conduit and access points from the<br>
underground pipes to privately owned interconnection facilities. Those<br>
pipes can be filled with fiber optic cables by companies that want to<br>
start providing high-speed service. The intention is that such service<br>
could be made available at a more competitive price and in areas where<br>
it's not even an option now. <<<br>
<br>
<br>
>>Moody's proposal envisions three corridors where users are or could<br>
>> be, but critical decisions can't be made until the next step when the<br>
>> city spends up to $130,000 of the planned allocation to hire a<br>
>> professional business consultant to put together an analysis and<br>
>> engineering plan.<br>
<br>
Empty pipelines already exist underground in the recently redeveloped<br>
Santa Fe Railyard, where officials laid the pipes with the hope that<br>
someone would run fiber optic cables through them later. In the St.<br>
Michael's Drive corridor, the city would have to trench and bury new<br>
conduit that could connect with the pre-piped campus of the Santa Fe<br>
University of Art and Design. The third potential service area is the<br>
Santa Fe Municipal Airport on the southwestern edge of the city, but<br>
that facility does not have any infrastructure in place for fiber<br>
optics. <<<br>
<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Richard Lowenberg<br>
1st-Mile Institute<br>
Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504<br>
<a href="tel:505-989-9110" value="+15059899110">505-989-9110</a> / <a href="tel:505-603-5200" value="+15056035200">505-603-5200</a><br>
<a href="http://www.1st-mile.com" target="_blank">www.1st-mile.com</a><br>
<a href="mailto:rl@1st-mile.com">rl@1st-mile.com</a><br>
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</font></span></blockquote></div><br>