San Francisco's Gigabit Master Plan: A Sign of the Times

San Francisco (CA) is taking broadband seriously. Following the announcement of a city partnership with Google Fiber in Feb, the office of Supervisor Mark Farrell announced on March 15 the appointment of two officials to a Municipal Fiber Advisory Panel, and released a report that recommends the city pursue a public-private partnership to build an open-access fiber network that serves everyone in San Francisco.

"When you turn on the faucet, clean water comes out. When you turn on the light switch, the lights come on. And when you open your laptop, everyone should have access to a fast Internet connection – whether you live in Pacific Heights or the Bayview,” Farrell said. “Low-cost, high-speed Internet is the utility of the 21st century, and as the innovation capital of the world, San Francisco’s leadership on this issue should be a no-brainer.” The 103-page report compares two competing broadband philosophies: the demand-based model used by private-sector Internet service providers (ISPs), and the more expensive utility approach that ensures everyone will have access. Because the report concluded that everyone has the right to Internet access, it ruled out the demand-based approach.