Gigabit Fiber in Bernal Heights

[lunulair]

Thank you for the explanation. While this has turned into a difficult project the communication with waiting customers has been poorly-handled. From our end we kept seeing 'forecasted fiber-live' dates announced and then pushed out repeatedly, with none of the details in your message but instead very thin "We're working on it" stuff that left us in the dark. All you had to do, in my opinion, was to come clean earlier with the full explanation and I bet a lot more people would have been forgiving, if not sympathetic. We're adults here - we can handle it.

Also, some customers had to decide whether to stick with Sonic or find alternatives, and they would have benefited from more information in a timely manner. I know that having to spend the time to write all that up is an unpleasant task (I had to do that myself in a past job) but after the first year of delays it would have been appropriate and after the second it would have been almost an obligation. One of the best things about Sonic in the past was your abundant transparency, and yet in this case it feels like that all went out the window after the first year of delays here.

Well, at least now we have a much fuller understanding of the situation. Given the future uncertainty I strongly recommend replacing the 'forecasted fiber-live page' with something more realistic (no forecasts until everything is finally under your control and not the city's), and simply link back to the comment just posted as the 'FAQ' for this project.

And again, thanks for finally turning on a light even if it is still far away. Being in the dark for so long and getting the dates pushed back continually was really frustrating.

[yann_kerherve]

Thanks for the update @Dane. Is there any way for the public to put pressure on the various entities slowing down that process? I'm sure we can find enough people to help if there is an effective way to do so.

[virtualmike]

I wonder what would happen if every San Francisco resident who is waiting for Sonic Fiber were to forward the PMO's message to their Supervisor?

[dane]

I wonder what would happen if every San Francisco resident who is waiting for Sonic Fiber were to forward the PMO's message to their Supervisor?

You've heard the phrase, "you can't fight City Hall", right? Supervisors don't manage department heads in San Francisco, or most cities, and public outcry in my experience just seems to drive a wedge with staff which ends up not being productive. We seek a collaborative relationship with all of the Cities we serve, and while delays can be frustrating, I don't think that in most cases that complaints from the public have a positive result.

[virtualmike]

I will defer to your experience with San Francisco, but I'll note that I worked 8+ years in a managerial position for another large municipality in CA where Council members were receptive to valid complaints from their constituents. The appropriate department(s) was notified of the issue at hand (as was the City Manager), and Staff was expected to either resolve the issue or explain why there was no solution.

I recognize that San Francisco is so far on the fringes that it can't even stop drug dealing in public, but I still wonder if a large number of citizens were to point out to their Supervisors that the City's processes are creating unnecessary obstacles might lead to a review. But again, in SF? Probably not.

[lunulair]

I wonder what would happen if every San Francisco resident who is waiting for Sonic Fiber were to forward the PMO's message to their Supervisor?

The PMO's message (whom I apologize to for my earlier comments) was for our consumption, not something intended to rouse action from City Hall. As private citizens we can write anything we want and send it in, but we should compose such messages ourselves and express that we are frustrated with the obstacles that Sonic has faced in the course of this project.

What I think would be helpful is for those who know the workings of the city better to post here who we should contact (I have lost track myself). The goal, of course, is to get those with leverage to address the obstacles and expedite decisions or paperwork that will clear the path. I think we as taxpayers can serve the role of 'squeaky wheel' looking to get the city to apply some grease.

(Or in this case, Greenlee GEL-5 cable-pulling lube.)

[jcaseysf]

As far as how the city work, we need to find someone close to the Process and make it about them. A old neighbor of mine used to work for the city, he was always a "what's in it for him" kind of guy. I suspect he wasn't the unique in his views.

[virtualmike]

...he was always a "what's in it for him" kind of guy.

Yes, any workplace has multiple people with that mentality, including the City where I worked. However, many of my co-workers believed their job was to make life better for the public, and that included getting things done.

I went into the job thinking I'd be there for 6-9 months while I solved a particular problem, because I had the same perception as many about municipal employees and their "dedication." I quickly learned what I described above, and ended up staying at the job until I retired.

[dwanjackson]

From sonic support... Bernal heights

I heard back from our team and it seems a conduit that is needed to connect our lines to our main office has been delayed due to needing permits with the city and that is what is holding up the live date for fiber. Getting permits from the city to install these lines takes awhile but our team is still working on getting it approved so we can get the fiber lines active. Sorry for the delay.

So basically don't expect Fiber until atleast next year. Might as well be realistic with us.

[lunulair]

So basically don't expect Fiber until at least next year. Might as well be realistic with us.

As of today:

"Your forecasted fiber live date is: September 2024"

Realistic? I'd rather see a blank entry at this point than rely on these forecasts. They serve a negative purpose each time they get pushed out another 2-4 months.