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HomeMy WebLinkAbout8.1 Let's Get Fast Pledge STAFF REPORT CITY CLERK File #1050-10 CITY COUNCIL DATE:May 6, 2014 TO: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers FROM: Christopher L. Foss, Acting City Manager SUBJECT: Authorizing the Signing and Submittal of the East Bay Broadband Consortium's Let's Get Fast Pledge Prepared by Roger Bradley, Assistant to the City Manager EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The City Council will consider authorizing the City's signing and submittal of the East Bay Broadband Consortium's Let's Get Fast Pledge, which states that the City understands and recognizes the critical importance of strong broadband services within the Dublin community. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the signing and submittal of the East Bay Broadband Consortium's Let's Get Fast Pledge. Submitted By Reviewed By Assistant to the City Manager Assistant City Manager DESCRIPTION: On April 14, 2014, the City Council's Economic Development Committee, comprised of Mayor Sbranti and Vice Mayor Biddle, received a presentation from Staff on the East Bay Broadband Consortium's Let's Get Fast campaign. The East Bay Broadband Consortium (EBBC) is an East Bay regional initiative organized to improve broadband deployment, access, and adoption in Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties through a collaborative regional approach. The EBBC lists broadband or high speed Internet, as a critical 21st century infrastructure and a key enabling technology for:  Economic competitiveness  Public health and safety;  Sustainable Communities; ITEM NO. 8.1 Page 1 of 2  The Smart Grid; and  Access to information and services delivered through broadband applications and technologies. The EBBC was formed to close the service gaps and advance the region as a center of innovation for advanced communications technologies, leveraging the region’s deep knowledge assets. The EBBC Action Plan aims to increase:  The region’s broadband infrastructure investments (public and privately financed).  Affordable access to broadband technologies.  Wide adoption of broadband to acquire the benefits of these technologies. The EBBC vision is to make the three-county East Bay the nation’s leading broadband enabled region in the nation. In support of these efforts, the EBBC has developed a Let's Get Fast campaign, which seeks to collaboratively work with jurisdictions within the East Bay to promote and draw attention to improved high speed broadband internet services within the area by expanding the adoption and usage of broadband technology and promoting ubiquitous access. As part of the campaign, jurisdictions are being asked to sign a pledge (Attachment 1) to support the consortium’s efforts to expand broadband services throughout the region. The Economic Development Committee was supportive of the pledge as a good first step in expanding broadband speed and accessibility within the City, and that a strong broadband infrastructure within the community would be a good economic development tool for the City and region. The Economic Development Committee recommended that the City Council review the pledge and authorize the City to sign and submit the pledge. Participation in the program commits the City to information sharing and engaging others in dialogue to promote enhanced and improved broadband infrastructure within the area. NOTICING REQUIREMENTS/PUBLIC OUTREACH: None. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Let's Get Fast Pledge Page 2 of 2 E B B EAST BAY BROADBAND CONSORTIUM "LET'S GET FAST" PLEDGE Because we recognize and understand the critical importance of a strong broadband/high- speed internet infrastructure to our community and to businesses in the East Bay and because we recognize that our policies and practices have a direct impact on the East Bay's broadband infrastructure and the ability of companies in the region to create jobs, the City/County of officially endorses East Bay Broadband Consortium's Let's Get Fast Pledge. We Pledge: • To help inform our community about how broadband is a critical 21st century infrastructure that increases economic competitiveness, improves public health and safety and helps build sustainable communities. • To proactively open dialogues and share information via newsletters, social media and our website and to host meetings about the East Bay's current broadband infrastructure and what needs to be done to address the future broadband needs of residents and businesses. • To maintain the East Bay's global competitiveness by conducting periodic reviews and learning from other regions, states and countries to ensure that we are best addressing the broadband needs of our community. • To work with the East Bay Broadband Consortium and continue collaborating to identify and promote best practices that make broadband accessible and effective across the East Bay. • To support strong broadband infrastructure solutions which move the needle from the current broadband minimum level(5 Megabytes per second) to an optimal level(100 Megabytes per second).