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What is the City of Dover proposing? The City of Dover is proposing to build a fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) community broadband network to serve both the residential and business community with an alternative source for their communication needs. This system would use a city-wide network of fiber-optic cables to transmit signals of light carrying information to homes and businesses. Initially, the City of Dover would offer the following services to its residents and businesses:
Additional services, such inter-networking between homes and businesses being served by the network, security monitoring and remote meter reading, could be offered or added in the future. [top] Why is the City of Dover proposing this project? Residents and businesses in the City of Dover have an ever-increasing need for a more advanced (higher-performing), reliable and reasonably priced means to connect to the outside world. This is no more apparent than with the phenomenal rise of internet usage for all sorts of activities from e-commerce to telemedicine. We are seeing a dramatically growing need to connect to the Internet with ever-increasing speeds and capabilities. This service, as well as voice communications and cable television, are critical to our residents as well as new and existing businesses where the notion of “Information in an instant” has become the desired standard. The City of Dover has a vested interest in assuring that its citizens and businesses have access to advanced telecommunications services with excellent service at a reasonable price. We believe the incumbents (current service providers) are not doing an adequate job in terms of the performance and capabilities they offer, or in the value they provide with their services. The City of Dover is in a position where it can build its own high-speed communications network to serve residential and business customers with state-of-the-art telecommunications services that offers the following benefits:
In addition to a better quality of life for its citizens, an additional benefit frequently attributed to community networks is enhanced economic growth and development. Not many communities are in the enviable position to be able to consider such a project. [top] How much risk would this project impose upon the City of Dover? Of course risk is a fact of life in nearly any endeavor, but minimizing the risk is something we can all agree is essential. The City of Dover has done its homework in this regard by hiring an independent and well-regarded firm to perform a study to determine the feasibility of this project. The study covered the following areas:
The end analysis found that the business case for the City of Dover’s proposed network is strong and resilient to most of the predictable variations in critical business case variables. In other words, the business case for building the network is very sound and justifies a decision to go forward with the project. The entire study and an executive summary are available at the following links:
It is important to understand that this proposed community network would be a much riskier endeavor if we had not conducted a thorough study that included an in-depth market survey to measure the demand for the proposed services. The study determines the feasibility of building and operating the system and consequently mitigates the risk. In fact, it may be risky for the City of Dover to not build this system. The need for our citizens and businesses to have advanced telecommunications capabilities will only increase over time. As was previously mentioned, Internet usage is a good example of this. Just as most of us now see dial-up internet access as a hindrance, certainly the broadband we are being provided with today will be the roadblock of tomorrow. The United States is seventh in the world in broadband connectivity. In Japan, citizens with 20-50Mbps fiber connections are commonplace. Most of us languish with a relatively paltry 1.5 to 3Mbps downstream with just a fraction of that for upstream traffic. If the City of Dover builds this system, our community will stand out as an oasis of high-speed connectivity in nation that is lagging behind the world. Fiber-to-the-home and business is not a novel, untested concept having been deployed in over 200 communities in 32 states. In fact, the fiber-to-the-home concept is such a great idea that the big telephone companies, such as SBC and Verizon, have committed billions to building similar systems by either taking fiber-optics directly to the premise or pushing it much deeper into the neighborhoods. However, don’t look for them to do that in Dover. Our area is not profitable enough for them to justify building fiber to the home or business. However, the City of Dover’s feasibility study clearly demonstrates that we could build the system and support it on our own. This is because the City of Dover would provide service to the community and set rates to cover our expenses without incorporating any added profit to satisfy shareholders. Remember this critical point: The incumbents look for a profit and answer to their shareholders, while the City of Dover looks for the betterment of the community and answers to its citizens. [top] Fiber-optic cables carry information using signals comprised of light, not electricity. This means fiber-optic transmission is immune to electrical resistance and interference, which results in far less signal degradation and much larger distance limitations than one would find in a copper cable. Fiber-optic cables have an extraordinary capacity for data transmission that far outstrips that currently available with the copper, especially as it is utilized in the older telephone and cable television networks. The cable companies and telephone companies do have some fiber-optic cable in their networks, but in most places their connections to home and business are copper-based. For anyone building a new telecommunications network to provide advanced high-speed data, voice and video services, fiber-optics trumps all other technologies with its superior capabilities, performance and reliability. If the incumbents could have a complete fiber-optic network with the push of a button, they would do it in a second because it would provide them with a sustainable competitive advantage. That is an advantage that the City of Dover wants to have, and will have if we build the proposed system. [top] Doesn’t the City of Dover already have fiber-optics? We certainly do have an existing fiber-optic infrastructure that encircles the city. This “loop” is currently being utilized to provide specialized services to a variety of entities, but primarily serves as a data transmission backbone. The current loop is not designed or intended to be an access network to service each home and business. In the proposed system the current loop would provide distribution trunks that would service fiber distribution points within the city. Each fiber distribution point would then have numerous fiber lines that would be split off and run to each household or business. [top] What is the fiber backbone currently being utilized for? The City of Dover utilizes a portion of the existing ring for its SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system, which is used to monitor and control elements of the city’s electric power generation and distribution system. The City of Dover also uses the fiber backbone for interconnecting its city departments and operational facilities on an integrated data and voice network. The Dover City Schools have been allocated a portion of the fiber loop for use in connecting their facilities and school buildings. The resources and capabilities that our existing fiber-optic backbone has extended to the Dover City School System and the City of Dover itself are highly valued. [top] Why don’t we build a wireless network instead? Wireless networking is a wonderful technology if the intended application is well-suited for it. One has to look at the objectives for the system first and foremost. The City of Dover wants to provide a triple-play of services (voice, video and data) to its customers. In the future, the City of Dover may provide other services as well. There are no wireless implementations that can adequately provide the breadth of services we intend to provide with the performance (bandwidth, latency, quality of service etc.) and reliability we expect. There is also the issue of security with wireless networks. When properly implemented this concern can be significantly alleviated, but many people, especially businesses, are more comfortable with choosing a physical land-line over a wireless connection for critical data. There are also many competing wireless technologies at this point, with the most advanced and promising technologies far from being standardized. In general, we think that wireless is something you do when you do not have wires (or cables) available. Our plan is to cable the entire city with fiber-optics, which is universally recognized as the ultimate pipeline for information. Residents or businesses can then implement any wireless technology they choose, while using the fiber-optic network as the backhaul. [top] How do the incumbents feel about this initiative? Typically, the incumbents state that they welcome competition when in reality they fear and oppose it because it threatens their monopoly. The next line you will hear from the incumbents is that they embrace "fair" competition, but that the competition community networks provide is unfair for a variety of reasons. This misleading assertions, and many others, are debunked in the following document: Still, the incumbent service providers are very powerful and wealthy organizations, so you can expect an aggressive campaign of misinformation using all forms of media to scare citizens into believing they are being misled by their local government. Check out these examples of what other communities have seen when they have tried to empower their communities and break the stranglehold of the incumbents: Bells Dig in to Dominate High-Speed Internet Realm What about the recent NMRC report cited by the Times Reporter as a reason to be critical of municipal broadband? In the February 6th, 2005 edition of the Times Reporter, Editor Dick Farrell cited in his editorial a recently released report from the New Millennium Research Council (NMRC) as reason to be critical Dover's proposed FTTP project. Below is a link to the report: New Millennium Research Council: Not In The Public Interest - The Myth of Municipal Wi-Fi When considering the content of such a report it pays to educate oneself as to the background of the organization behind the report. A healthy fear of hidden agendas is helpful as well. There is no lack of organizations that will masquerade as "independent" public policy firms or think tanks while being financially backed by a powerful industry flush with money. The NMRC provides the following information on their website: "The NMRC is an independent project of Issue Dynamics, Inc. (IDI) , a consumer and public affairs consulting firm that specializes in developing win-win solutions to complex policy issues." The following links give you a fairly good idea of who the NMRC is and offers a very plausible explanation as to why their report is so critical of municipal broadband: eWeek - Municipal Wi-Fi: Let's Keep It Local Wi-Fi Networking News - NMRC's Policy for Hire Here is another link to a commentary on a report from the "independent" Heartland Institute that is critical about municipal broadband. The Heartland Institute is mentioned in the NMRC report as well. Interestingly, the Heartland Institute apparently refuses to identify the sponsors of their municipal broadband report or any other report they produce. Wi-Fi Networking News - Sock Puppets Disappoint The agenda of the incumbents is clearly to fight municipal broadband. As we can see, they frequently can do so by disguising their cause by funding so-called "objective and independent reports" from think tanks and public affairs/policy consultants. The City of Dover has never tried to hide its agenda: We propose a better value in telecommunications services for Dover's citizens and businesses from a fiber-optic network that will provide a sustainable competitive advantage for the City of Dover well into the future. Along with that you can expect unmatched service, and local accountability. If municipal broadband projects always fail and are inherently bad for a community, why are the incumbents putting so much effort and money into fighting them? Would I be able to select only those services I’m interested in or would I have to subscribe all of the services? Residents would be able to choose the individual services they would like to subscribe to; All or none, or anything in between. Additionally, we eagerly anticipate being able to offer service bundling where subscribers will receive better discounts for selecting the “triple-play bundle” which consists of cable television, high-speed internet and telephone service. The additional discount for subscribing to all three services would make it an exceptional value. [top] What would the rates be and how would the cost compare to my current services? The pricing as it is currently proposed is typically discounted 10-20% from what you are currently paying for various telecommunication services. The feasibility study has more information on the proposed pricing. The prices shown in the study are not only for illustrative purposes, but also to provide real-world numbers for determining the feasibility of the system. Please keep in mind that while various factors such as pricing or cable channel line-up could be altered before the implementation of the proposed system, the City of Dover is committed to retaining the superior value for subscribers of the system. [top] What equipment would I need and what would the installation cost be? The City of Dover would provide the equipment to connect your residence or business to the fiber network. The video or cable television service would utilize existing coaxial cabling inside your home. Additional cabling may be installed to connect establish your internet connection to your computer(s). We anticipate there would be no charge to connect your home or business to the city fiber-optic system. [top] Would I be required to sign a service contract? There are no plans for requiring service contracts that commit you to purchase service for a given period of time. You could expect a typical service agreement that outlines the terms and conditions of service, and an acceptable use policy. [top] What would the guaranteed up-time be? Because of the advanced technology and fiber-optic infrastructure that this network would use (and currently does use to connect some businesses), you can expect superior reliability and up-time compared to the incumbent’s systems. [top] How would the throughput of an internet connection on the fiber system compare to the broadband service I’m currently using? We plan on offering service tiers with transfer rates that are comparable to the current providers, as well as tiers that far outstrip the current providers. By offering this tiered approach to service, you could choose the level you want or need. Either way, the City of Dover’s fiber network would offer a symmetrical internet connection. This means your upload speed will be comparable to your download speed. This is a huge difference from the incumbent providers who offer connections upstream speeds that are a fraction of their download speeds? This is typically overlooked by subscribers. How does anywhere from 2 to 10Mbps upstream and downstream sound, and the possibility of up to a 100Mbps connection between homes or businesses on the City of Dover’s fiber network? [top] Billing would be done through the City of Dover's Utility Office. The bills for telecommunications services will likely be staggered from the billing for your other utilities such as electricity and water. [top] These services will only be offered to the homes and businesses if City Council approves the Fiber network project. If you would like to see these services offered to you please contact your elected city council representative to voice your support. [top] Please contact City Hall at 330.343.6726 if you need contact information for your City Council representatives. If I have questions or problems, who do I contact for assistance? If the system is built, the City of Dover will service the system via its own telecommunications and technology department. This means true local service from people you know. Contact information will be readily available at that time. In the meantime, you can e-mail Matt Arnett at the City of Dover for any inquiries or comments on the proposed system. [top]
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 home | FAQs | acceptable use policy | feasibility study | contact us City of Dover • 110 E 3rd Street • Dover, Ohio 44622 • Phone: (330) 343-6663 |
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