McGinn weighs in on Internet access

Reclaim the Media, a Seattle-based media reform organization, is calling on the city to make  high-speed Internet access available to all citizens, rich and poor.

"Seattle has received national praise for being America's most wired city, but there is nothing approaching equality of access for low-income residents, immigrants, and many others," said Jonathan Lawson, Executive Director of Reclaim the Media.

But we also asked Bruce Harrell, chair of the Seattle City Council technology committee, for his thoughts. He said he believes in the goal, but he's not sure if a municipally owned fiber broadband network is necessarily the answer.

Mayoral candidate Mike McGinn on Friday sent out an email saying:

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 (see http://mcginnformayor.com/issues/#infrastructure).

Jonathan Lawson, of Reclaim the Media:.

Seattle needs affordable public broadband

Reclaim the Media and other Seattle community organizations are spelling out a vision for an affordable, public-owned Internet designed by Seattle for Seattle, built to address poverty, the digital divide, environmental sustainability, the need for civic engagement, education, and many other concerns.

The group is calling on the city to commit to building a public-owned, citywide fiber broadband network by 2015, ending Seattle's digital divide and leading the nation into a new era of high-speed broadband.

"Seattle has received national praise for being America's most wired city, but there is nothing approaching equality of access for low-income residents, immigrants, and many others," said Jonathan Lawson, Executive Director of Reclaim the Media. "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. The digital divide is still here. It impacts the daily lives of thousands of people, and keeps our communities and our culture from being all they can be."

Building on recommendations originally put forth nearly four years ago by the city's Task Force on Telecommunications Innovation, Reclaim the Media asks that the city commit to a six-year timeline to build a citywide municipally-owned fiber broadband network. 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.

Having all homes and offices connected through a single public-owned network would provide other benefits, including greater participation in e-Democracy initiatives, and substantial energy savings through "smart-grid" technology, with related cost savings for consumers. Initial funds for building Seattle's network could be provided by broadband stimulus funds included in the American Recovery and Renewal Act passed this spring by Congress; the law includes some $7.2 billion for modernizing broadband services.

"The United States has fallen to 20th place in terms of household Internet use. We've been stuck in the mud, and that's harmed our economy and our democracy," said Lawson. "But Seattle has the opportunity to lead the nation—becoming the first major city with a municipal fiber Internet. Let's face it—Internet access isn't a luxury, it's a basic necessity."

Harrell:

A few thoughts:  I agree that equal opportunity for high speed internet access, access that I will define as connectivity between 5-15 mbps or the option for residents/businesses to obtain up to 100 mbps, is absolutely critical to establishing parity in our city and region. 

This can establish and optimize educational opportunities, business opportunities, employment opportunities, community building, public safety coordination, entertainment choices and a host of other direct and ancillary benefits that this kind of connectivity can establish. 

Now whether the city should build, own and maintain such a system is another issue. 

Through studies and surveys conducted by City Light and DoIT, the best option for the city suggests a fiber build out to the neighborhood only.  The estimated cost is between $150 - $200 m for this option. To reach the premise (the "last mile") would cost approximately $450 - $500 m. 

The costs to build out to the neighborhood must be borne by the ratepayers/residents; the very same people who we are trying to assist and equalize their access.  The thinking is to drive private investors to build from the neighborhood to the premise because of the lower initial capital costs.

As a result, more service providers should be compelled to provide service in the city.  Moreover, if I agreed that the city should own such a system or "utility,"  it would in effect be a monopoly and in monopolies you lose the healthy benefits of competitive market forces.

 I do not favor monopolies where, I believe market forces can drive better prices, better service and new products.  We should also recognize that Comcast, Qwest, Verizon and other internet providers are local and regional employers and I do not favor strategies designed to weaken the employment of our regional employers. 

In short then, I would like to use our efforts in securing stimulus money and using our locally owned facilities and other assets of our city, such as right-of-ways and easements, to stimulate the building of high speed connectivity (and an electrical smart grid which will assist our energy strategies), such that we do have in our city, the network that the good people at Reclaim the Media are envisioning.  I hope this helps.

McGinn:

More than anywhere in the country, Seattle’s economy is tied to technology. Whether it is Boeing, Amazon, the University of Washington, Microsoft, or the growing cluster of biotechnology firms, our city competes in a world of constant innovation. And with approximately 100,000 high-tech jobs in Seattle alone, with nearly as many in our neighboring communities, our prosperity depends on the infrastructure on which the information economy rests: the Internet.

Across the U.S. and throughout the world, cities are connecting homes and businesses with fiber optic networks. These networks offer better speed and performance at a lower cost. Most importantly, they offer the potential of unlimited innovation.

As Mayor, Michael will direct Seattle City Light to build a citywide fiber optic network connecting every home and business in the city.

We Already Have a Plan

Five years ago, the City of Seattle completed a plan to build a publicly owned fiber optic network. But due to a lack of vision and political will, the current administration has left the plan to sit on the shelf gathering dust.

Private Internet providers have not gotten the job done: in this technology-driven era, nearly a majority of Seattle households still do not have access to high-speed Internet, do not have Internet service at all, or experience poor service. But this is not a mere economic need. In this time of severe wind and snow storms, at this time when citizens are being ignored by their government, we need municipal Internet as a way for city government to communicate better with its citizens.

A Better Deal for Consumers

At a time when Seattle households are feeling their budgets pinched, the city’s private broadband providers charge as much as $60/month for technology that is 10 years old. Soon, that could look like a bargain: cable companies elsewhere in the country are already charging $139/month for high-speed, 50 Mbs next-generation service. We can do better.

A citywide fiber optic network will be paid for in five to seven years, after which service could be provided to residential users at a substantially cheaper price than commercial providers currently offer.

Boosting the Economy and Creating Jobs

Thousands of new jobs in Seattle have been created in the knowledge-based industries: software development, biotechnology, and aerospace. These industries chose the Puget Sound region because we’ve cultivated one of the most educated and creative populations in the country.

A citywide broadband network will attract the industries of tomorrow. It will spur immediate job creation, lower overhead and startup costs for small businesses, and give current employers another reason to remain in Seattle. Companies will have greater incentive to allow telecommuting, potentially easing traffic congestions in the city.

Social Justice and Equality: Internet for All

Broadband is more than just an economic development tool. It is an essential component of the modern education system. Lack of broadband access puts children from low-income families at a disadvantage in modern classrooms, where teachers increasingly expect students to access the Internet in order to complete homework assignments.

Yet in Seattle, 41% of Seattle households do not have access to high-speed Internet, and 27% have no Internet access at all. Internet literacy is an essential skill set in today’s economy, and not providing our children with access is like not teaching them to read. And not just children are affected: Seattle Public Libraries only offer 90 minutes per day of Internet per customer, making it difficult for adults to apply for jobs, putting low-income residents at a significant disadvantage.

We Cannot Afford to Fall Behind

Previous generations of Seattleites had the courage to make legacy investments that continue to pay dividends today. Seattle City Light, the Metro bus system, and our municipally owned water system are now national models that have proven their worth time and time again.

High-speed Internet represents the next wave of infrastructure investment for our city, one that will foster an environment in which ideas, knowledge, education, and commerce can flourish well into the future. We need to act now.