With broadband internet service spotty or unavailable in many parts of Athens—especially the rural areas, but some lower-income neighborhoods in town, too—Athens-Clarke commissioners are considering starting a government-run utility to offer broadband throughout the county.
The commission hired the Corus Group—which has worked on broadband systems for Thomasville, Valdosta, Kennesaw and other cities—last year to do a study of municipal broadband. That study, presented to commissioners at a work session last week, recommended laying a loop of fiber around the county, with government buildings serving as hubs to distribute internet access throughout neighborhoods, whether by wire or wireless technology. The system could operate at speeds of up to 10 gigabytes per second—many times faster than what Charter and other local internet service providers currently offer.
The basic infrastructure would cost about $2.1 million–$3.2 million, but there are several ways ACC could recoup the costs: Government offices and schools would no longer have to pay for internet access, for example, and ACC could use wi-fi to sell custom ads on buses (such as a video for a business that played when the bus passed that business). ACC could lease the infrastructure to private companies (thus mitigating consumer price increases when ISPs move to better technology) or become an ISP itself.
In addition, high-speed broadband and widely available wi-fi would be a selling point to bring businesses into the community, consultants said. Employees would be able to start a project at home and continue working on the bus on the way to the office without ever losing their connection.
Discussions are still in the very early stages, and municipal broadband seems a long way off. Commissioners said they want to find partners to help share the cost (possibly UGA and the school district). Commissioner Jared Bailey questioned the height of the cell towers required (150–200 feet). And Sharyn Dickerson, Andy Herod and Jerry NeSmith—commissioners who represent areas on the outskirts of the county—said they would prefer to work outside-in rather than inside-out, to bring service first to people who don’t have it.
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