HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 8.1 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
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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).