High-quality broadband

Hire a consultant to assist with development of a detailed public broadband network design that delivers best in the U.S. high-speed service in Marin, with a goal of 1 Gbps symmetrical wherever needed and possible, with an emphasis on providing internet services to Marin government entities such as city halls, schools, county and municipal facilities, joint power agencies (JPAs), and special districts. Consider all deployment options including public, public/private partnerships, and commercial. Wherever possible, incorporate competition, overbuilding, use of existing public and private network assets and services, local control, and community ownership into the design.

Include the following as part of the design process:

• As a top priority, determine the ability to use the strands of dark fiber in the SMART easement allocated to the County and the cities through which it passes in the License Agreement between SMART and Sonic. 
• Identify ways to offset the cost of constructing an open access broadband network including analysis of current spending and performance metrics, such as the number of circuits and speeds, used by government, schools, anchor institutions, and other publicly-funded entities to reduce spending or divert funding. 
• Use Magellan Advisor’s recommended conceptual network design as a basis for development of the detailed, open-access, publicly-owned network design.  
• Coordinate with the State’s Open Access Middle Mile project to take advantage of available infrastructure and technical assistance. While this Plan’s actions aim to address issues of pricing, availably, and service, existing laws constrain state and local governments from regulating the activities of private providers. These and other findings show that high-quality, affordable broadband services are not as available as Marin prefers. Deploying broadband infrastructure, adopting quality standards, and increasing affordability will help to address these issues.
• Incorporate public and privately owned internet infrastructure and assets to the greatest extent possible to reduce cost and increase the speed of deployment, while still resulting in a publicly owned, controlled, or managed network, wherever possible. 
• Consider all options including underground and aerial fiber, fixed wireless, wave broadband, satellite, and other available and emerging technologies.

After a detailed broadband network design is completed and resources become available, oversee deployment of broadband infrastructure using a phased implementation of stand-alone broadband network components. Manage each phase using project management best practices that include securing funds, hiring consultants, and obtaining other necessary resources. Upon completion of each proceeding phase, launch projects to deploy subsequent phases of Marin’s public broadband network.

Use existing network infrastructure and services, develop residential community siting standards, adopt trench once/trench smart ordinances, standardize permit requirements and fees, and develop other rules, policies, and procedures, to the fullest extent possible. Work to update, change, or adopt laws, rules, policies, and procedures to increase deployment of broadband infrastructure with an emphasis on the deployment of publicly owned, controlled, or managed infrastructure.

Local government is and for the foreseeable future will be constrained from regulating the business practices of private companies providing internet services in Marin. Develop internet service standards for accessibility, speed, reliability, resiliency, safety, availability, consistency, affordability, open access, and other important aspects of broadband for all that meet or, if desired and where possible, exceed standards set forth by current laws, rules, policies, and procedures. Update, change, or adopt laws, rules, policies, and procedures to put in place and enforce these service standards. Use these internet service standards during development of the detailed public broadband network design and deployment of all internet infrastructure and services in Marin.

Obtain more information about incumbents’ internet prices, speeds, resiliency, and quality by conducting a county-wide speed test coupled with an evaluation of individual service provider’s costs, program offerings, and quality of service standards and ratings. Work with incumbent providers to ensure that their current and future internet services meet or exceed Marin’s adopted standards in an agreed upon time frame.

Increase access to affordable broadband services for everyone, especially for those least able to pay, by identifying or creating discounted and free programs. Manage the programs through a centralized agency, whenever possible, using Federal, State, local, and other funding sources. Remove barriers to entry by ensuring the process to get discounted or free internet service is easy to complete. Coordinate with other entities such as those providing social services. Ensure services provided through discount and free programs are consistent with full price options and meet or exceed Marin’s internet service standards. Increase consumer education that helps lower consumers’ out-of-pocket costs by providing information about options once more speed testing and price comparisons are completed.