Public utility district Internet as alternative to Google fiber

Most rural communities lag in the type of broadband Internet service available in urban areas. But northeast of Spokane, in Newport and the surrounding hills and valleys, around 5,000 homes and businesses have the chance to connect soon to a fiber-optic system with lightning-fast speed.


The network being built by the Pend Oreille Public Utility District will allow users to download and upload data all the way up to 1,000 megabits, or 1 gigabit, per second - far faster than the 10 to 20 megabits that is a popular consumer choice today.


It will rival the Google Fiber system rolling out in the Kansas City area and is fast enough to download a movie in seconds, conduct video conferencing at home, and watch multiple high-definition TV programs simultaneously online.


“We believe it’s kind of the footprint for the future of rural communities,” said Joe Onley, manager of the Community Network System for the Pend Oreille PUD

I expect PUDs like this one and consumer cooperatives will take the lead in building out fiber. The key reason is the time to return on investment is too long for private sector players, whether they be AT&T, Verizon, or Google.  And that applies in all areas -- not just rural locations.

Local government units could build own broadband infrastructure under proposed California legislation

Following the January release of a report by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Broadband Task Force finding nearly 2,000 California communities lacking high speed Internet access, legislation has been introduced that would authorize community service districts (CSDs) to offer broadband service within their jurisdictions.

SB 1191 would allow allow CSDs to "acquire, own, improve, maintain, and operate broadband facilities and to provide broadband services, until a private person or entity is ready, willing, and able to acquire, construct, improve, maintain, and operate broadband facilities and to provide broadband services, and to sell those services at a comparable cost and quality of service to the district and its property owners, residents, and visitors." If and when a qualified private broadband provider steps up and shows an interest in serving the community, the legislation requires the CSD to sell or lease its broadband infrastructure to the provider at fair market value.

In 2007, a California Court of Appeal ruling cleared the way for public utility districts to provide advanced telecommunications services, rejecting a legal challenge by a cable TV company.