Seattle approves plan to lease fiber network to private firms

Mayor Mike McGinn chats with former City of Seattle CTO Bill Schrier in Pioneer Square last year.

Seattle will now be able to lease unused fiber optic cabling throughout the city to private companies, possibly sparking faster Internet connectivity and creating a more competitive marketplace.  The Seattle City Council approved the measure today in a vote of 8-0. “The council’s vote allows us to challenge the private sector to use our unused fiber… Read More…

Many residents in state live in ‘rural information ghetto’

P-I newspaper boxes. Photo Kurt Schlosser

Researchers at Washington State University have concluded that large segments of the state are marooned in what they call a “rural information ghetto,” stuck with a lack of news coverage exacerbated by poor Internet access, bad cellular coverage and dwindling local journalism. For example, the report notes that 3.8 percent of the state’s residents do not… Read More…

Seattle ranks in top 5 for broadband download speed

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Feeling a bit sluggish, Seattle? Perhaps a move to Austin, San Francisco or Boston will perk you up. Pando Networks, which delivers content and downloads for MMO games, has released its annual American Broadband Study. And in it, Seattle ranks fourth for average download speeds among the largest cities in the U.S., with an average… Read More…

Analysis: 96 percent of Washington state residents have access to ‘broadband’

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The Washington State Broadband Office today released a comprehensive report about the state of broadband in the state. And here’s the upshot: Things are getting much better for those who have a need for speed. The authors of the report declared that 2011 was a “watershed year for broadband connectivity in Washington” with public and… Read More…

Broadband on a plane: Intellectual Ventures has a better way coming in 2014

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Is Nathan Myhrvold about to improve your in-flight broadband connection? That’s one of the promises of a new type of antenna that Myhrvold’s Intellectual Ventures is developing, using synthetic substances known as metamaterials. The technology uses electronics to create a thin and lightweight antenna that can steers a radio-frequency beam on the fly, literally, to… Read More…

Seattle and UW look to light up 500 miles of fiber to help solve broadband woes

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Mike McGinn has worked hard to bring high-speed Internet access to parts of Pioneer Square. Now, the Seattle mayor is turning his attention to other parts of the city. The mayor, along with University of Washington president Michael Young and others, will announce a new plan Monday “to bring high-speed fiber to the neighborhoods surrounding… Read More…

Clearwire CEO: ‘We want to be the Switzerland of mobile broadband’

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Clearwire CEO Erik Prusch says that the company is talking to AT&T, Verizon and others about entering into wholesale agreements, deals which could assist the Kirkland mobile broadband company as it looks to raise money roll out a LTE or long-term evolution network. Bloomberg reports that the company is in several discussions with potential customers… Read More…

Comcast rolls out $9.95 per month Internet service for low income families

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Comcast is launching a new program to provide Internet service to low income families in the US. at a discount. Dubbed Internet Essentials, the offering includes $9.95 per month Internet service and a voucher to buy a computer for $149. “Access to the Internet has the potential to be a great equalizer and a life-changing… Read More…

Comcast wants to serve Pioneer Square startups, bids on city broadband project

Mayor Mike McGinn discusses the Pioneer Square broadband project with City of Seattle CTO Bill Schrier

A few weeks ago, Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn stood on First Avenue and asked Internet service providers to step up to help bring high-speed Internet to the Pioneer Square neighborhood. Now, one of the biggest providers in the state, wants to help deliver. Comcast said today that it has submitted an application to bring high-speed… Read More…

Broadband: Does the city of Seattle really need to step in?

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Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is pushing to bring high-speed fiber-optic connections to businesses in the city, starting in Pioneer Square. But how far should the city go into an area where private companies compete? The latest episode of the public affairs program City Inside/Out on the Seattle Channel does a nice job exploring the debate over… Read More…