All Dublin residents to be offered ultra high-speed internet, but do they need it?
The city of Dublin is launching a partnership with altafiber, formerly known as Cincinnati Bell, to become the "most connected city in the U.S."
The goal is to provide every home in the city with access to ultra-high-speed fiber connectivity.
Altafiber, which serves Greater Cincinnati, was chosen among seven vendors to provide all Dublin residents with access to internet speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second (Gbps). That's about 100 times faster than the nation's average speed of just over 119 megabits per second (Mbps), according to allaboutcookies.org.
The city says the contract will cost the city about $6 million to help bury the cable. Altafiber is spending about $35 million over the next several years for the project.
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Those who have other internet providers don't have to change, said Lindsay Weisenauer, city spokeswoman.
"You will still be able to keep your same provider... and nothing precludes another provider coming along to offer something similar," she said.
Dublin surveys have shown that residents want improved access to higher internet speeds, lower service costs and better customer service, justifying its goals.
“This project will provide unprecedented access and help us achieve Dublin City Council’s goal of being the most connected city," said Dublin City Manager Megan O’Callaghan in a prepared statement.
Altafiber is the leading supplier of fiber-based services in Greater Cincinnati and has invested more than $1.5 billion to expand its fiber network across Southwest Ohio. The company says it is committed to creating digital equity for "full participation in our society, economy and democracy."
Dublin may be one of the state's most prosperous cities, but not all residents have high-speed access.
"Low-income folks live all over Franklin County," said Stephanie Hightower, executive director of Columbus Urban League. "There are still populations in Dublin where people are working minimum wage jobs and on food stamps and public assistance. So kudos to Dublin for doing this. ...
"You don't want our children out behind big box stores or restaurants and other places to get access at 10 or 11 o'clock at night," she said. "This is not about an amenity. It should be a requirement that everybody has, no matter what your zip code is."
Dublin already has its own Dublink network, which provides 100-gig fiber optic connectivity to Dublin businesses.
“Access to employment, educational, and healthcare opportunities depends on gigabit connectivity – which is a powerful economic development tool,” said Jason Praeter, president of Consumer and Small Business for altafiber. “We look forward to delivering an outstanding customer experience in Dublin, and being increasingly involved in this great community.”
“This project will allow us to make Dublin homes fiber-connected, competitive and relatively future-proof,” says Dublin Chief Information Officer Doug McCollough.
Construction of the network should be complete within three years, with some residents having access as soon as the mid-2024.
Residents can visit info.altafiber.com/dublin for answers to questions and to sign up.
dnarciso@dispatch.com
@DeanNarciso
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Dublin residents to be offered "10 gig" internet access
