Net neutrality is on its way out. But that might not be so bad for Sacramento

[Commentary] Some of you might recall that in Nov, Verizon announced it would make Sacramento the first city in the country to have 5G – or fifth-generation – residential wireless broadband service. We beat out at least two other cities for it, following a few months of being a test market. Now if all goes well, many more Sacramentans will be able to tap into the ultra-high-speed service with their smartphones, tablets and computers by the second half of 2018. The deal, in part, is the culmination of another one inked in June. The City Council voted earlier this year to fast-track a contract with the telecom, allowing it to outfit 101 city utility poles with wireless antennas and install a fiber network underground in exchange for rolling out Wi-Fi in 27 city parks.

Earlier in 2017, Gov Jerry Brown (D-CA) vetoed Senate Bill 649, which would have made it easier and cheaper for telecom companies to install 5G wireless equipment in cities and counties. Hundreds of city and county governments pushed back against the bill, saying that it would’ve removed their discretion over where the unsightly antennas would go. Some of them, they noted, are as big as a refrigerator. Perhaps more to the point, the bill also would’ve greatly reduced the leasing fees cities and counties collect from the telecommunications companies. But with net neutrality on the verge of being, well, neutralized, and a clear need to expand options for broadband, maybe it’s time for cities and counties to reconsider. Or maybe Sacramento will have to be the experiment. That’s fine. Anything to keep my broadband internet bill low.