Fiber in the South Bay: Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara

[Alex]

The past few weeks have been eventful.

AT&T issued press releases announcing it plans to expand its fiber network to "select areas" of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose:

http://about.att.com/story/plans_to_rea ... peeds.html
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_ ... ities-soon

Meanwhile, Palo Alto moved to pursue both work on a municipal network and also negotiations with Google and AT&T:

http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/f ... obID=49964
http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/civicax/f ... obID=50105
http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_ ... ty-council

San Jose approved permits for Google Fiber:

http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-new ... d-san-jose
http://sanjose.granicus.com/GeneratedAg ... 0477c4e808

Santa Clara amended (decreased) rates for pole attachments pursuant to AB 1027:

http://sireweb.santaclaraca.gov/sirepub ... ype=AGENDA
http://sireweb.santaclaraca.gov/sirepub ... ype=AGENDA

At the city council meeting on December 8, I spoke with the director of Silicon Valley Power (the publicly-owned utility), who told me SVP owns almost all 11,000 poles in Santa Clara; AT&T owns about 100.

On December 15, the city council will hold a study session about Google Fiber:

http://sireweb.santaclaraca.gov/sirepub ... ype=AGENDA

Take a look in the South Bay, Sonic!

[Guest]

YES!
Thanks for these links. I hope Santa Clara/SVP get out of the haze of "Google might be coming" and start to negotiate with other potential providers.

They have been "negotiating" with Google for over a year. Most cities who are willing to make the concessions to Google required do so within months.

[Guest]

After reading those, the Santa Clara one, while very slow moving looks like there is still a shot. Looking at the timelines laid out in the plan though, it will be 2018 at the earliest for a complete rollout.

I think the announcement that Google Fiber has decided on San Jose might be a little premature(since it was made in October) when they requested the chance to build 2 of their cabinets(with 8 more required) if they actually do roll it out.

We can hope.

[Guest]

According to a Palo Alto city staff member, a January announcement is "likely."

Chief Information Officer Jonathan Reichental informed the council on Monday that the Silicon Valley company likely will make an official announcement about Google Fiber in January. If Google moves ahead, construction would start in mid-2016 and last three years.

"Everything indicates their inclination toward moving forward in the five Bay Area cities, including Palo Alto," Reichental said.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-new ... ty-council

[davecrawley]

So what would it take to persuade Sonic to put my Neighborhood in San Jose on the list of places they are going to install fiber? I already use Sonic copper - and love it. Although I had to get them to put a special ticket in to install it in the first place, because they weren't sure that we they could reach the CO from my address (they could and it was 5500 feet away, I told them to take a chance and they deserve cudos for trying).

I can start a campaign to get all my friends and neighbors in the area to install Sonic - although probably few would be as persistent as I was to seek out an alternative to comcast / AT&T given that this isn't an area Sonic regularly serves.

I could write to the mayor and my city councilmen, the mayor used to call me personally to ask me contribute to his campaign. But he's already a big proponent of simplifying planning processes and wants fiber in San Jose anyway.

I can do all these things, but realistically how many people would have to sign up to sonic copper to move the needle?

[dane]

So what would it take to persuade Sonic to put my Neighborhood in San Jose on the list of places they are going to install fiber? I already use Sonic copper - and love it.

Both Google and AT&T have said they've got plans to build fiber in San Jose, so we wouldn't build there if they do.

[Guest]

So what would it take to persuade Sonic to put my Neighborhood in San Jose on the list of places they are going to install fiber? I already use Sonic copper - and love it.

Both Google and AT&T have said they've got plans to build fiber in San Jose, so we wouldn't build there if they do.

What about Sunnyvale? We are in a geographically small neighborhood of about 250 single family homes. What percent of people would need to sign up in order for you to go here? Order of magnitude would be great since I know the devil is in the details.

[dane]

What about Sunnyvale? We are in a geographically small neighborhood of about 250 single family homes. What percent of people would need to sign up in order for you to go here? Order of magnitude would be great since I know the devil is in the details.

We're evaluating whole cities or substantial regions of whole cities at this point, not individual subdivisions. Small projects are generally not viable.

[Guest]

What about Sunnyvale? We are in a geographically small neighborhood of about 250 single family homes. What percent of people would need to sign up in order for you to go here? Order of magnitude would be great since I know the devil is in the details.

We're evaluating whole cities or substantial regions of whole cities at this point, not individual subdivisions. Small projects are generally not viable.

Ok, thanks!

[Guest]

Both Google and AT&T have said they've got plans to build fiber in San Jose, so we wouldn't build there if they do.

Thanks for the clear answer. I emphasize that
- The customer orientation of your guys to tell me clearly they weren't sure copper service to my location would work, but, at my request, put it in anyway.
- The fact that you don't limit speed and simply do best effort speeds
- The fact that you try as hard as legally possible not to use my data for anything but providing me a service,

All mean that I am a vigorous advocate for sonic. Long may the above mindsets continue. As UVerse is now in the area I'll shoot for Sonic FTTN instead of the above mentioned alternatives.