SF’s model for citywide gigabit-speed internet service could come by June–Socialism

A couple of years ago the city of San Fran decided to run its own energy company.  At that time it was noted this will take business and revenues away from PG&E, causing a loss of employment in the private section and a loss of tax revenues.  Last week PG&E announced laying off 800 people.  Now the City of San Fran, like the good socialist city it is, is building its own Internet service—to be in competition with free market, private firms paying taxes.

““Phase 1 will consist of comparing public, private and public-private options; analyzing costs and risks of building and operating a gigabit speed network; proposing a mechanism to ensure affordable rates, especially for low-income consumers; and recommending a role for The City,” Roberts said in an email to the San Francisco Examiner.

If The City elects to proceed based on the study’s findings, that would lead to Phase 2, which “would consist of assisting The City in procuring a developer for the network through a request for qualifications, request for proposals process.”

This is the same city that complained about Uber testing driverless cars in town.  This is a city that has a government that claims it OWNS you home or condo—and they will tell you how to use it.  Now with the city taking over broadband internet service you will see the monopoly causing cost to go up, service to go down and the rich buying private services—and the poor and middle class in a third world city.  Sad.

SF’s model for citywide gigabit-speed internet service could come by June

By Joshua Sabatini, SF Examiner,  1/18/17

San Francisco is expected to finalize a contract this month with a consultant to lead The City toward the creation of a high-speed internet service for all residents and businesses.

The City may have suffered a setback in November when it lost its head of the Department of Technology to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio — the department has had a history of high turnover of directors — but plans are still moving forward on the long talked about effort to establish a gigabit-speed internet service using The City’s growing fiber-optic infrastructure.

The first step for the Department of Technology is to finalize contract negotiations with Maryland-based consultant CTC Technology and Energy, whose president is Joanne Hovis. Hovis is also the CEO of the Coalition for Local Internet Choice, a group that advocates for public-private broadband partnerships. The firm has recently worked with such municipalities as Boulder, Colo., and Madison, Wis.

Brian Roberts, the Department of Technology’s policy analyst, said he expects the consultant to complete a four-month study of the best model to achieve the high-speed broadband service by June 2017. The study is considered the first phase of creating a citywide broadband network.

“Phase 1 will consist of comparing public, private and public-private options; analyzing costs and risks of building and operating a gigabit speed network; proposing a mechanism to ensure affordable rates, especially for low-income consumers; and recommending a role for The City,” Roberts said in an email to the San Francisco Examiner.

If The City elects to proceed based on the study’s findings, that would lead to Phase 2, which “would consist of assisting The City in procuring a developer for the network through a request for qualifications, request for proposals process.”

That phase is expected to take 11 months, concluding by May 2018, Roberts said.

The consultant would also help negotiate the contract with the selected developer.

With the current timeline, the effort could find itself caught up in campaign politics as at least three members of the Board of Supervisors are considered possible mayoral contenders for the November 2019 mayoral race to replace termed-out Mayor Ed Lee.

Such a network could reduce prices of other internet providers, boost the local economy and help close the “digital divide.” The City estimates about 100,000 residents do not have internet access at their homes and 50,000 are using dial-up connections.

The acting director of the Department of Technology is Ken Bukowski.