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What Cities Can Do to Get Gigabit-Ready

In a virtual summit, Google’s Milo Medin challenged cities to do their part to attract high-speed broadband providers.

At yesterday’s keynote for a virtual summit titled ‘Innovation for the Nation” directed towards state and local government employees, Google’s Milo Medin, VP of Access Services, told municipalities that they can attract a gigabit fiber service if they want it. He encouraged them to “own the problem” and pave the way by simplifying their municipal processes to attract fiber broadband providers.

He told the audience of local government authorities, “It is easier to create the future rather than predict the future.”

Medin told the audience that municipalities should remove barriers to cities and localities to build fiber systems. First, he recommended streamlining right of way access. Second, he noted that some utility poles need to be replaced every 10 years and when they are replaced, they should be replaced with taller poles with space at the top to hold fiber lines. Third, he suggested that permitting and approval processes be automated to speed up these processes. Fourth, any time the ground is opened up, he suggested that municipalities install conduit into the ground. In summary, the more you “make ready” your municipality for fiber, the better chance you have to attract private investment from a broadband company, he said.

Medin said there is no one model and it makes sense to do what you can with what money you are already spending.

When asked what government leaders can do to bring gigabit speed systems to their cities, Medin said that it is critical to have a coalition of CIOs working with senior city management and political leaders like mayors and city councils.

In recent years, Medin led Google’s efforts to build a gigabit fiber system in Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kan. Later Google added Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah, as cities where they are building gigabit broadband systems.

This story was originally published on Techwire.net.

Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.