Fort Collins unveils new details about municipal broadband rollout

Fort Collins Connexion -- a public broadband service -- is on track to have its first broadband customer online by Sept. Who the customer will be, how much service will cost, or which parts of Fort Collins (CO) will get access first remained unanswered. But a Connexion update at a city council work session offered a few nuggets about what to expect: Connexion will officially launch, unveil a new website, and post pricing information in Aug. Broadband Director Colman Keane said the service will start out “very slowly” and ramp up through the fall, eventually reaching a rate of several hundred new customers a month. Keane said he considers broadband a platform that allows the city to try new things and offer better services for residents. The goal of “ubiquitous coverage” means residents will get the same quality of coverage regardless of where they live, he said. That’s a key part of the global smart cities initiative that focuses on using technology to improve lives and treat all citizens equally.