Idaho Statesman
Detroit to Put $10 Million Toward Open-Access Fiber Network
After Bruce Patterson’s success designing a network to serve the residents of Ammon (ID), he decided to depart and work to help other cities build similar open-access networks. Perhaps the most significant taker is the city of Detroit (MI) which is planning to use $10 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to build a pilot open-access fiber network that will serve a neighborhood of about 3,200 households.
Eastern Idaho is in the midst of a fiber-optic revolution. What’s the secret to success?
In eastern Idaho, two relatively small towns, Idaho Falls (population 62,000) and Ammon (16,000) have begun treating broadband as an essential service. These fairly conservative communities offer residents access to lightning-fast internet at low cost. They rely on variations of the same theme to achieve these results: public network ownership. It’s a model that’s gaining steam nationwide, with Detroit (MI) set to begin construction on a $10 million network explicitly modeled after the one engineered in tiny Ammon.
What I learned about tech from Idaho miners, farmers and firefighters
Idaho is a state full of innovative, can-do people who are making our nation’s economy and society stronger. But it all depends on connectivity. And in that regard, we aren’t yet where we want to be. There are millions of Americans, including many in Idaho, who can’t get high-speed Internet access. And there are too many areas with insufficient broadband competition. Closing this “digital divide” is the [Federal Communications Commission's] top priority. I’m proud to say that we’re doing a lot to address that priority.