Seattle Mayor Ed Murray recently announced that he will send legislation to the Seattle City Council that will bring more competition to the marketplace and more access to service – especially in neighborhoods that are currently underserved.
Murray said this legislation, part of his three-point plan for more and better broadband service in the Seattle, will change a regulatory barrier – the SDOT “director’s rule” – that has prevented companies from investing in their own high-speed fiber networks within the city. CenturyLink announced that this change will allow them to bring one-gigabit, fiber-to-the-premises internet access to tens of thousands of single-family Seattle homes in Beacon Hill, Central District, Ballard, and West Seattle by the end of 2015.
“So much of our recent economic growth has been due to the success of high tech companies and startups that have chosen to make Seattle home,” said Murray. “Yet not all Seattleites are benefitting from our technology boom, and we know that some neighborhoods today lack adequate, competitive choices for broadband internet access.”
Maud Daudon, president and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, believes that this legislation will further the economic growth of the city.
“Attracting residents, start-ups, and businesses that rely on fast internet speed is vital to a globally competitive city,” said Daudon. “Increasing to 1 gigabit internet speed will help cement Seattle’s status as a burgeoning technology powerhouse.”
In addition to reducing regulatory barriers, Murray said his broadband plan includes pursuing public-private partnerships to allow companies to lease City-owned dark fiber already running beneath our streets, as well as continuing to assess the feasibility of a municipal broadband option.
“Some of the most famous entrepreneurs in the world started their businesses out of their homes here in Washington State. Putting enterprise-grade internet speeds within everyone’s reach will be an instant boon to Seattle’s tech industry as it places the ultimate tool required to start and grow a tech company into the hands of any potential entrepreneur,” said Patti Brooke, vice president of government affairs and member programs at the Washington Technology Industry Association.
The proposed legislation to replace the director’s rule is the result of several months of stakeholder meetings that included representatives from communication service providers, City departments, the Seattle Pedestrian Advisory Board, the Citizens Telecommunications and Technology Advisory Board, the Public Space Management Taskforce, Upping Technology in Underserved Neighborhoods, and the Beacon Hill Community Council.
“Broadband deployment is an equity issue and we must make sure underserved neighborhoods receive the same type of investments,” said Seattle Councilmember Brice Harrell. “Next generation broadband service is critical to developing our local economy, enabling telecommuting, taking online classes, healthcare, and ensuring businesses have the speeds to be successful. This proposed legislation to supersede an outdated rule is long overdue.”
Murray’s legislation will be transmitted to the City Council this week, where it will be taken up by the Transportation Committee.
