On the same day as the "municpal network" article, the WSJ featured an article on the Grant County PUD's network. Grant County PUD is in the process of rolling out a Gigabit Fiber-to-the-home network. Zipp. Zipp should be to (most) everyone in the county in seven years. The rollout began about three months ago and there are currently around 500 customers that are hooked up or in the process of being hooked up.
The PUD isn't directly providing services, rather they charge 'providers' an access fee for using their fiber. They are restricted, by law, to providing wholesale access to their telecommunications infrastructure (fiber).
Currently, there are about seven ISP's and three companies darn close to offering cable television on Zipp. Phone service should be ready sometime next year. All this is happening in place that would, otherwise, be waiting years before getting broadband internet access.
The Internet access is tremendous. Speeds are in the neighborhood of a 1.5 Mbps, both up and down. The prices range from $21.95 to $25.95. File sharing on fiber rules. Cheap.
With fiber at my home and a router, I could run an ISP from my closet. Cool.
The cable companies are going to be providing cable/internet packages. Cheap as well. $39.95 for basic cable and 'high-speed' Internet access.
When a person signs up for service through the PUD's Zipp network, the PUD will install a Gigabit fiber switch (a World Wide Packets unit) on the the customers home. That's their point of demarcation. They are not charging any setup fee. In fact, your network card is free. The switch breaks off into 8-10/100 Ethernet ports. Sooo much bandwith. Most 'folks' in Grant County can't fully appreciate it. The businesses can, though. The gamers love it. File sharing is nuts.
So what is my experience been with municipal networks been? Great. I love it. I'd been living in Seattle for five years since graduating from high school in Moses Lake. School at the U of W. I first heard about the network a year ago. Now I've been home for the last nine months and working for the PUD for the last six. It is very exciting. If things pan out, it will be a tremendous opportunity for the County. Cheap power, cheap land, cheap bandwith. No, I'm not trying to sell it, it's the truth.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/july- de c01/powerpays_7-16.html
Slashdot Mirror
I'll second that.
On the same day as the "municpal network" article, the WSJ featured an article on the Grant County PUD's network. Grant County PUD is in the process of rolling out a Gigabit Fiber-to-the-home network. Zipp. Zipp should be to (most) everyone in the county in seven years. The rollout began about three months ago and there are currently around 500 customers that are hooked up or in the process of being hooked up.
- de c01/powerpays_7-16.html
The PUD isn't directly providing services, rather they charge 'providers' an access fee for using their fiber. They are restricted, by law, to providing wholesale access to their telecommunications infrastructure (fiber).
Currently, there are about seven ISP's and three companies darn close to offering cable television on Zipp. Phone service should be ready sometime next year. All this is happening in place that would, otherwise, be waiting years before getting broadband internet access.
The Internet access is tremendous. Speeds are in the neighborhood of a 1.5 Mbps, both up and down. The prices range from $21.95 to $25.95. File sharing on fiber rules. Cheap.
With fiber at my home and a router, I could run an ISP from my closet. Cool.
The cable companies are going to be providing cable/internet packages. Cheap as well. $39.95 for basic cable and 'high-speed' Internet access.
When a person signs up for service through the PUD's Zipp network, the PUD will install a Gigabit fiber switch (a World Wide Packets unit) on the the customers home. That's their point of demarcation. They are not charging any setup fee. In fact, your network card is free. The switch breaks off into 8-10/100 Ethernet ports. Sooo much bandwith. Most 'folks' in Grant County can't fully appreciate it. The businesses can, though. The gamers love it. File sharing is nuts.
So what is my experience been with municipal networks been? Great. I love it. I'd been living in Seattle for five years since graduating from high school in Moses Lake. School at the U of W. I first heard about the network a year ago. Now I've been home for the last nine months and working for the PUD for the last six. It is very exciting. If things pan out, it will be a tremendous opportunity for the County. Cheap power, cheap land, cheap bandwith. No, I'm not trying to sell it, it's the truth.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/environment/july