[1st-mile-nm] Farmington City Council tables broadband decision

[Richard Lowenberg]

Farmington City Council tables broadband decision

Entire article at:
http://www.daily-times.com/ci_22024476/farmington-city-council-tables-broadband-decision

City Council is facing a decision that, by some measures, could set the 
tone for San Juan County's economic outlook decades into the future.

In just over two months, council will decide on what to do with 80 
miles of the city's unused fiber optic cable infrastructure. Mayor Tommy 
Roberts and city council are not taking their task lightly.

The decision, originally scheduled for final action at the Nov. 13 City 
Council meeting, was tabled until late January after Roberts suggested 
that input from the city's Cable and Communications Commission, Chamber 
of Commerce and Four Corners Economic Development would be valuable 
assets in the decision making process.

Council is considering two options.
The first, a lease of bandwidth, is modeled after a system used by the 
city of Cortez.

(snip)

The second plan is a dark fiber lease modeled after the system used by 
the city of Durango.

(snip)

In the weeks leading up to the final decision on the city of 
Farmington's fiber optic cable infrastructure, Roberts and city council 
are faced with a particularly difficult decision. Although broadband 
internet access is vital in the 21st century economy, it can be 
difficult to quantify the expense of maintaining the fiber 
infrastructure. Fiber is intangible compared to roads, bridges, sewers 
and other physical infrastructure, and any economic benefits may not be 
seen for years or decades.

"You're matching (broadband internet) up against something concrete," 
Hale said, "but in the long term, it'll pay itself back in spades."





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Richard Lowenberg
1st-Mile Institute
Box 8001, Santa Fe, NM 87504
505-989-9110 / 505-603-5200
www.1st-mile.com   rl at 1st-mile.com
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