We’ve been bombarded with requests for us to post something about this. Thanks to goodness somebody actually did something worth reporting so we can make a note of it. Google has caused a stir with its announcement that it plans to build a high-speed broadband network in the US and is looking for community partners to be part of the early stages.

We hear the Capitol Hill Community Council might take a swing and getting attention for Capitol Hill as a community candidate for the network. For the record, we’re not certain Capitol Hill on its own should be the first place in line for this kind of upgrade but, hey, if GOOG is giving out gifts, why not put your bowl out. In the meantime, the entire city of Seattle is now saying “Me, me, me!” Here’s the announcement from the mayor’s office:

SEATTLE – Today Mayor Mike McGinn announced that the city of Seattle will respond to Google’s Request for Information (RFI) to build ultra-high speed broadband networks in communities across America.

Google’s vision of a fiber-to-the-home network with open access is very similar to McGinn’s plan to connect every home and business in Seattle with a fiber broadband network.  McGinn has already created an internal city government task force of utility and technology leaders to create a plan for realizing this plan.   That task force will also prepare a response to Google’s Request for Information.

Seattle will actively seek to partner with Google in creation of a fiber network here.   The city itself has many assets to bring to the partnership, including an extensive existing fiber network of over 500 miles connecting every school, college and major government building in the city.  In Seattle, 88% of residents have home computers, 84% have Internet access and 74% already have Internet access faster than dial-up.   Seattle is a high tech city, with many technology firms both large and small, and a culture of entrepreneurism and innovation.   

Fiber-to-the-premise networks will serve as an engine for business and economic development.  Seattle would be an excellent place to construct such a network because we already have a high tech industry and population. 

City government itself has many assets which could be used to partner with Google in this network, thereby reducing Google’s costs and allowing the new network to reach more people.  The city owns or co-owns 100,000 poles on which to construct the network.  City-owned electric and water utilities could use the network for energy management, smart grid and other innovative uses.  Seattle has also extensively deployed technology in public safety – computers in every police and fire vehicle, video cameras in every patrol vehicle and laptops for every police officer.  This current deployment of technology could spur innovative public safety uses of a fiber network in the future.

 Seattle has led a consortium of public agencies to build an extensive fiber network for use by those agencies – last year saw the completion of a project to connect every school (elementary, middle school, high school) to fiber, and most sites for the University of Washington, Seattle Community Colleges, City of Seattle, and other public agencies.  The fiber consortium is a partnership of the city of Seattle, Seattle School District, University of Washington,  State of Washington, Seattle Community College District, Port of Seattle, cities of Shoreline and Edmonds, several federal agencies and Pierce, Snohomish and King counties.   This consortium is a tremendous asset of sites and public agencies, already connected, who could immediately “plug in” to a new fiber-to-the-premise network.

Please contact Bill Schrier, chief technology officer for the city of Seattle, at (206) 684-0633 or Aaron Pickus at (206) 233-2650 for further details.