Bring Fiber Gigabit Internet Connectivity To San Leandro Homes

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Do you want the fastest internet connectivity in the world brought right into your house? If yes, please read the following and share with others: 

San Leandro is about to embark on the largest road repair program in its history thanks to the voters passing local and county tax measures in November 2014. This presents a golden opportunity for the widespread installation of conduit to bring ultra high speed internet connectivity to the homes of San Leandro.

Lit San Leandro - the gigabit fiber network in our commercial area - has been a game changer for San Leandro but it's impact will not be nearly as great as it could be if it is not extended to our residential neighborhoods. The major challenge is cost. It's very expensive to dig up streets. The fiber was installed in the business areas because conduit already existed. It had been laid to monitor traffic on our major streets due to the foresight of City engineering staff.

We need the same initiative and foresight from the City Council and staff today to extend Lit San Leandro to our homes. Specifically, as I was leaving office at the end of 2014, I advocated that the City to establish an open trench policy. I have mentioned this over the past year and half to certain members of the City Council and staff.

An open trench policy would be an ordinance requiring that when the City, a private developer, or utility wanted to tear up our city streets for any reason, conduit would also have be installed. Fiber could then or later be drawn through the conduit to connect nearby residences to Lit San Leandro.

No effort is being undertaken presently to enact an open trench policy, even though the City's broadband strategy calls for such a policy to be undertaken.  See page 29 of 
https://www.sanleandro.org/civicax/filebank/blobdload.aspx?blobid=12459 

The City, developers and utilities will not on their own install conduit for fiber to serve homeowners - unless compelled by a local ordinance. 


Right now, as shown in the above photo, PG&E is tearing up a portion of Estudillo Estates to install a new gas line. Because we don't have an open trench policy in place no conduit for fiber is being installed.

There is an alternative - homeowners could pay for the boring of roads to create conduit for fiber. That relieves the City, developers and utilities from installing conduit, and places all the cost on homeowners. The result is only the wealthiest areas of our city, if at all, will one day have gigabit speed internet connectivity.

Our quality of life, education of our children, and value of our homes would all be advanced by having incredibly fast connection to the internet. 

If you care about this issue, please contact the Mayor and City Council at CityCouncil@sanleandro.org and ask them to pass an ordinance adopting an open trench policy this year.

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