Seattle's plan the antidote to "#1 unwired"

Submitted by acohill on Wed, 06/08/2005 - 11:32

I wrote recently about Seattle's plan to invest heavily in fiber. The work that the city has done now seems even more timely because a list of "Most Unwired Cities" came out recently, and Seattle holds the number one slot, just as the city has identified "wired" technologies like fiber as critical. One of the things everyone forgets is that "unwired" hot spots still have to get access back to the wired network, and fiber is usually the most desirable way to do this.

Their task force has recommended a communitywide digital transport system based on fiber, which the task force notes has a 40+ year life span and the lowest cost per megabyte of capacity of any system (e.g. DSL, cable modem, wireless, satellite). The city has a summary of the issues and a link to the plan online. Here is what the Chairman of the Task Force said about broadband:

"The task force believes Seattle must act now to foster the development of advanced broadband facilities and services for our community. Seattle cannot afford to dawdle. Broadband networks will soon become what roads, electric systems and telephone networks are today: core infrastructure of society. Lacking advanced broadband, Seattle is unlikely to maintain a competitive economy, a vibrant culture, quality schools and efficient government."