Press Releases

Mayor thanks Council for helping make broadband fiber available for lease

SEATTLE - Mayor Mike McGinn thanked the Seattle City Council for passing legislation today that will move Seattle one step further along the road to better digital infrastructure.

"The Council's vote allows us to challenge the private sector to use our unused fiber to provide better service to homes and businesses," said McGinn. "To compete in the world economy means that we need better digital infrastructure to support local innovation, create jobs and improve our quality of life."

Since 1998 Seattle has been part of a partnership that has been installing and maintaining fiber optic cable to link facilities around the city. The partnership includes the University of Washington, King County, Seattle Public Schools, Washington State Ferries, Port of Seattle, US Coast Guard and some 10 other government and education agencies. To date that network has more than 500 miles of fiber optic cable in the greater Seattle area.

The legislation, submitted by the executive, allows the partnership to lease the excess fiber to private third parties to provide high speed internet services and increase competition among service providers.

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