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Los Angeles Wants Free Wi-Fi, 1 Gbps Fiber, and a Pony

Dissatisfied with service from the likes of Time Warner Cable, last fall the city of Los Angeles used an innovative approach to get 1 Gbps connections to all city residents: they simply asked if any companies wanted to come to town to build and fund an all fiber network. As we noted at the time this was a fairly obvious pipe dream, experts noting that the city wasn't really bringing any inducements to the table to lure companies to invest.

Now Los Angeles appears to be taking things further with an announcement that they'd also like someone to come to town to offer free Wi-Fi, as well:
quote:
City officials were hoping to hear from telecommunications firms Monday on the feasibility of a plan to provide free wireless broadband service anywhere in the city of Los Angeles. KNX 1070′s Pete Demetriou reports City Councilman Bob Blumenfield is leading the effort to issue a request for information (RFI) that will be put out in the public domain in the hopes that companies like AT&T or Verizon will answer the call.
Still, no ISP is going to want to fund such an effort across the entire city when they can just pick and choose the areas with the best ROI. It almost seems like Los Angeles hopes that Google Fiber or the 1 Gbps fiber fairy will come to town without them offering much of anything companies can't get already. As an aside, I'd like a Bugatti. Just putting it out there.
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ITALIAN926
join:2003-08-16

ITALIAN926

Member

?

Whos the ILEC in Los Angeles?

Karl Bode
News Guy
join:2000-03-02

Karl Bode

News Guy

Re: ?

Is that CenturyLink?
political_i
join:2013-11-12

political_i

Member

Re: City of LA

Pacific Bell went to Verizon since they do have FiOS service in the area.

In terms of the City hoping a private firm wanting to invest without a return, they might want to discuss with Macquarie Capital. Even then, their RFP does not give any policy positives that would help with construction of this. If the City want free services to citizens, then they need to come up with something where they are putting some skin in the game.

jbgroup1
Non Conformist
Premium Member
join:2000-05-04
Dayton, MD

jbgroup1

Premium Member

Re: City of LA

Pacbell was SBC who eventually went to AT&T. Verizon is in the former GTE areas of Southern California which are in portions of Orange, San Bernadino and Riverside counties and whatever county Malibu is in.

alchav
join:2002-05-17
Saint George, UT

alchav

Member

Re: City of LA

said by jbgroup1:

Pacbell was SBC who eventually went to AT&T. Verizon is in the former GTE areas of Southern California which are in portions of Orange, San Bernadino and Riverside counties and whatever county Malibu is in.

This information is correct, and I think LA is headed in the right direction. They just have to be realistic and know that no Company is going to do something for nothing. I believe Fiber is the future, and if a City controls the planning and deployment they will get and know their Network. So first you put out information to invite Providers, and then see what they have to offer and pick the one you can work with to do the best job.
jjeffeory
jjeffeory
join:2002-12-04
Bloomington, IN

jjeffeory to jbgroup1

Member

to jbgroup1
You're mostly correct. Portions of San Bernardino, Riverside, Orange, and Ventura counties have FiOS or UVerse. It's not really done on county lines though. at&t was SBC was Pacbell; Verizon was GTE. There are areas in each of these counties served by both telecom companies. For instance, Chino Hills is San Bernardino has FiOS, Highland (right next door) has Uverse. Malibu is in LA County and has FiOS, Santa Clarita has Uverse. It's a strange patchword. Garden Grove is in Orange County and has Uverse, Westminter. It's an interesting patchwork this isn't really based on county lines.
CJ777
join:2004-10-05
Los Angeles, CA

CJ777 to political_i

Member

to political_i
No, Pac Bell went to SBC, now renamed AT&T again. GTE went to Verizon. FIOS is only available in some ex GTE areas.

aztecnology
O Rly?
Premium Member
join:2003-02-12
Murrieta, CA

aztecnology to Karl Bode

Premium Member

to Karl Bode

Re: ?

AT&T, CenturyLink, and Verizon are all ILEC's in the "city"...
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray

Member

Re: ?

Centurylink is not an ILEC in Los Angeles.

The County is split solely between Verizon (nee GTE, Continental) and AT&T (nee SBC, Pacific Bell, Pacific Telephone).

PapaMidnight
join:2009-01-13
Baltimore, MD

PapaMidnight to ITALIAN926

Member

to ITALIAN926
I believe that title belongs to AT&T, courtesy of the reverse merger with SBC Global Networks for the majority of Los Angeles. However, Verizon holds the rest. They both split Southern California fairly evenly.

Edit: This should assist: »ftp://ftp.cpuc.ca.gov/telco/IL ··· 2008.pdf (PDF)

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

1 recommendation

battleop

Member

Anyone hear that sucking sound?

I can hear a faint sucking sound from the East Coast. This is certainly a prelude to an LA Muni fiber project that's going to suck billions of tax payer dollars into a black hole.

SimbaSeven
I Void Warranties
join:2003-03-24
Billings, MT
·StarLink

1 recommendation

SimbaSeven

Member

Re: Anyone hear that sucking sound?

..you mean the same sucking sound that came from at&t when they promised 45mbps internet access?

Here's a nice pdf with some interesting information in it.
»www.ntia.doc.gov/legacy/ ··· 61BF.pdf
mikeluscher159
join:2011-09-04

mikeluscher159

Member

Re: Anyone hear that sucking sound?

I thought that was Verizon in Joisy?

PapaMidnight
join:2009-01-13
Baltimore, MD

PapaMidnight

Member

Re: Anyone hear that sucking sound?

It was definitely Verizon.
»New Jersey Wants The 45 Mbps Verizon Promised 20 Years Ago [77] comments
itguy05
join:2005-06-17
Carlisle, PA

itguy05 to mikeluscher159

Member

to mikeluscher159
Don't forget Pensyltuckey too....
»www.techdirt.com/article ··· rs.shtml
Skippy25
join:2000-09-13
Hazelwood, MO

1 recommendation

Skippy25 to battleop

Member

to battleop
As it should. If incumbents won't do their job it is the responsibility of the elected officials and choice of the taxpayers to do it for them.

Whether you like it or not and whether they waste their money or not is not of any importance in this matter.

battleop
join:2005-09-28
00000

1 recommendation

battleop

Member

Re: Anyone hear that sucking sound?

"and choice of the taxpayers to do it for them."

More often the tax payers are not given a choice.

"Whether you like it or not and whether they waste their money or not is not of any importance in this matter."

Their money is OUR money.
mgamer20o0
join:2003-12-01
Norwalk, CA

mgamer20o0

Member

Re: Anyone hear that sucking sound?

said by battleop:

"and choice of the taxpayers to do it for them."

More often the tax payers are not given a choice.

"Whether you like it or not and whether they waste their money or not is not of any importance in this matter."

Their money is OUR money.

at least they would end up getting something for once. they already waste tens of millions a year if not hundreds.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

1 recommendation

elray to Skippy25

Member

to Skippy25
The incumbents are doing the job.

I don't like them any more than you, and they're tardy, but in concert with the MSO's, we're seeing service offerings of 15-60 Mbps at price points, adjusted for inflation, that are less than we once paid for dialup internet access.

To be clear, Blumenfield's proposal is inviting an overbuilder, not suggesting that the city build a muni.

And that's a good thing - The DWP can't handle simple solar bill credits, can't answer its customer service line in less than 3 hours, can't keep its paws out of customer's bank accounts, doesn't maintain the pipes, doesn't allow for conservation efforts, won't open its books for audit, can't manage to keep rates under control, but does manage to tax the daylights out of its customers to cross-subsidize the city's various pet projects. They have no business providing broadband.

w0g
o.O
join:2001-08-30
Springfield, OR

w0g

Member

damn.. we're gunna give the whole population of Los Angeles, DNA damage..

WiFi and EMF hurts. Listen to the two doctors testify here in Oregon about how WiFi and 4G radio hurts, and causes all sorts of damage to cell and brain/nerve function. It also damages DNA and prevents healing from cancer.

»www.oregonstatehospital. ··· tion.mp4

treich
join:2006-12-12

treich

Member

Re: damn.. we're gunna give the whole population of Los Angeles, DNA damage..

Crap your electric lines give off EMF even everything in Ur house give off emf. Also everybody as been saying WiFi n cell phones hurts u but in reality its noting but be lies or its in Ur head. Even earth naturally gives off emf. So stop spreading fear/bs to everybidy .

w0g
o.O
join:2001-08-30
Springfield, OR

1 edit

w0g

Member

Re: damn.. we're gunna give the whole population of Los Angeles, DNA damage..

The earths EMF is called Schumann resonance and life requires it to exist. The brain and DNA in fact harmonize with it. The problem is that microwaves and other sources of radiation are overriding the Schumann resonance which is hurting people. Think about how you're walking around in an EMF smog that heterodynes into your brainwaves, and damages DNA and cells which both use magnetic and electromagnetic fields to conduct their molecular and atomic and subatomic level activities. More on that in this video: »www.Oregonstatehospital. ··· lam.html

Yes power lines, personal electronics and house wiring do give off EMF too and they're extremely dangerous and hidden form of injury which people should be fighting to try to have redesigned with shielding.

Wireless devices should switch from omnidirectional antenna design to directed energy and phased array antenna design which will allow beams of energy that avoid human and animal tissue to be used instead of the huge generalized fields that are used today and which penetrate everything.
johan_hammy
join:2003-08-08
Dekalb, IL

johan_hammy to w0g

Member

to w0g
Now that we've had our moment of equal opportunity, moving on...

treich
join:2006-12-12

treich

Member

why dont they start there own fiber network?

Why don't they just start there own fiber network if there is no major players want to do it. Or better yet get some independent telcos come in and setup an fiber network. BC here in Ohio we have independent telco have fiber network that is linked up to Chicago where all major players are at they are linked up to 10gig fiber network.
johan_hammy
join:2003-08-08
Dekalb, IL

johan_hammy

Member

Re: why dont they start there own fiber network?

There are plenty of commercial and wholesale networks there, but fiber overbuilds do not make sense for residential broadband.

treich
join:2006-12-12

treich

Member

Re: why dont they start there own fiber network?

well if they got wholesale networks then any independent ISP can come in and use "so called vaper ware fiber network"...
johan_hammy
join:2003-08-08
Dekalb, IL

johan_hammy

Member

Re: why dont they start there own fiber network?

Right, but that doesn't negate the fact that last mile residential construction is expensive. Its still a mighty cost whether bourne by tax payers or customers.
elray
join:2000-12-16
Santa Monica, CA

elray to treich

Member

to treich
Because they've proven themselves incapable to performing even the most rudimentary municipal duties - keeping the streets safe and clean, repairing the roads and sidewalks, trimming the trees, operating the libraries, and unfortunately, running a public utility.

While this forum buries its head in the sand and pretends that the incumbents haven't moved the ball down the field, the reality is that today, we have incredible options available, precisely the result of private investment. Meanwhile, our decade-old local taxpayer-financed network remains unavailable to all but the elites.
johan_hammy
join:2003-08-08
Dekalb, IL

johan_hammy

Member

Guv'mint

As usual, government has their heads up their asses.

Thaler
Premium Member
join:2004-02-02
Los Angeles, CA

1 recommendation

Thaler

Premium Member

Re: Guv'mint

Eh, it's actually much more a LA/California thing. We believe that businesses will pay to have the honor of servicing our citizens. That's why we can ask for the moon and be surprised when no business wants to take up such a losing proposition.

cjae
@161.149.102.x

cjae

Anon

Voice your opinion here:

The city is asking for citizens and businesses to voice their opinions about their Internet use, access at home/work, and what they think is an affordable price for Internet here »ita.lacity.org/ForReside ··· ndex.htm

There is also more information on the feasibility of this project on the LACBN page as well. All opinions matter in this project, so let your voice be counted.