CTC has served as fiber consultant to San Francisco for several years. In that capacity we have prepared a series of comprehensive and path-breaking studies analyzing the feasibility of the City building and operating a fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network to every home and business in San Francisco. The reports included statistically significant residential and commercial market surveys and focus groups to determine connectivity needs. Our team assessed internal municipal networking needs as well as public assets that could be leveraged in the creation of a fiber optic network.

 

The reports also provided in-depth business planning, including detailed discussion of various business and financing models with the benefits and risks associated with each. The technical analysis conducted during the project analyzed the various candidate FTTP architectures, including Active Ethernet and PON, and discussed the possibility of hybrid models. Additional research analysis provided measurements to predict emission reductions and other ancillary benefits of facilitating work-at-home initiatives through an FTTP implementation.

Since 2008, CTC has worked closely with the City of Seattle’s government and utilities, providing a range of strategic, business, and technical support.

 

Our first study for Seattle, FTTP Municipal Broadband Risks and Benefits Evaluation, included an internal needs analysis, market research of both residential and business, assessment of competing services and technologies, and evaluation of the business case and business risks.

 

Following on that report, CTC analyzed the savings a robust municipal fiber-optic network could generate in terms of long-term cost avoidance for government expenses and the benefits of owning versus renting networking infrastructure. The report went on to provide innovative and ground-breaking exploration of additional “off-the-balance-sheet” benefits from a fiber optic network. Topics analyzed included savings from enhanced telecommunications competition, improvements to healthcare services, and environmental benefits.

 

In the most recent phase of this project, CTC advised the Mayor of Seattle regarding the U.S. communications market and business planning strategies for a citywide enterprise. CTC led and facilitated a business planning working group comprised of the Mayor’s senior staff, the Directors of the two municipal utilities (electric and water/sewer), and the CIO.

 

CTC also delivered a strategic plan for wireless data networking. The report assessed current municipal capabilities and, after interviews with city personnel, defined future wireless networking goals and requirements. CTC also provided engineering analysis of candidate wireless technologies and made recommendations based on the strategic goals of the city.

CTC assisted UC2B, a coalition comprising the University of Illinois and the cities of Champaign and Urbana, in preparing the networking engineering and strategic planning portions of its successful $22.5 million BTOP grant application for the construction of a 187-mile fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) network. Upon notification of funding, CTC assisted UC2B with network design and deployment tasks. CTC also worked closely with UC2B and NTIA liaisons to aid in the grant compliance process.

CTC provided strategic guidance and advice for how expansion of Palo Alto’s dark fiber network could impact opportunities for enhanced municipal and commercial services. The report included an assessment of how to leverage existing infrastructure to both promote commercial wireless broadband deployment and improve municipal Smart Grid and public safety technologies. A framework was also prepared for how to establish a public-private partnership to encourage greater wireline infrastructure construction. Specific engineering design assistance and detailed cost estimates were provided for each of the wireless and wireline development scenarios.

CTC delivered a business performance evaluation study for liNKCity, North Kansas City’s municipal broadband network. CTC examined liNKCity’s current operational status and provided strategic guidance for setting long-term organizational direction and vision.  We gave input for the potential expansion of marketing efforts. The report concluded with specific recommendations for the development of future networking services to offer with an emphasis on supporting local commercial economic development.