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Alameda Power & Telecom An Enterprise of the City of Alameda. ENTERING THE BROADBAND BUSINESS. Who We Are. Municipal Enterprise - City Department Serving citizens since 1887 Telecom utility established in 1998 City Charter revision Nov 1998 Granted Franchise November 1999
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Alameda Power & TelecomAn Enterprise of the City of Alameda ENTERING THE BROADBAND BUSINESS
Who We Are • Municipal Enterprise - City Department • Serving citizens since 1887 • Telecom utility established in 1998 • City Charter revision Nov 1998 • Granted Franchise November 1999 • Construction Jan 2001 • First customer June 2001 • Currently 9,711 customers • Public Utilities Board oversight
Why? • Base Closure • General economic downturn • Find and develop other revenue sources • Approaching Electric Deregulation in CA • Build command & control system • Needed fiber for Distribution Automation (DA) and Automated Meter Reading (AMR) to be cost effective • Citizen Dissatisfaction • Four providers over 10 years; limited local customer service • Task Force recommendation to prepare feasibility study with goal of local service, latest technology
Vision Enterprise Network -Industrial -Financial -Commercial -Information Providers Community Network -Government Offices -Libraries -Schools and College -Hospital A Municipally Owned Broadband Network National Information Infrastructure National Information Infrastructure Telecommunications Transport System ...Reliable Telecommunications... Lowest Cost... Universal Access... Variety of Services... Utility Network -Monitoring & Control -Energy Services -System Automation -Auto. Meter Reading Residential Network -Residential Services -CATV/HSD Services -Information Services -Security Systems Source: Businness Plan Figures 1.1 and 1.2
Business Plan Summary Own and Operate Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial Network Provide TV and Data (Internet) Services Built to provide alarm monitoring and telephony Priced below competition administrative efficiencies with electric utility marketing advantage – local ownership; no stockholders newer plant means lower maintenance costs
CATVInternet Service Plant Characteristics • 860 MHz • Comcast is at 450MHz with upgrade to 750 MHz in process • Higher capacity, speed and clarity of signal • Fiber to the node • Reduced maintenance costs • Coaxial cable to the user • 500 users per node • Ability to “split” to 250 with higher penetrations • Comcast usually at 750 users per node • Wi-Fi or Broadband over Power Line options • Under review for commercial areas
Construction of CATV/Internet Service Plant • Plant completed: 24 miles underground 77 miles aerial • Node Status: • 52 nodes certified (26,000 users) • 3 nodes in progress (1,000 users) • 37 nodes to be built (incl partially complete nodes) • 25 Main Island (12,500 users) • 12 Bay Farm Island (6,000 users)
Preparing for thePublicity Battle How to thwart the incumbent providers • Tell your story…be proactive and do it early. Don’t let the competition tell your story • Champion local connection to the community constantly • Capitalize on relationships with the local media • Respond to all claims from the competition that municipal broadband does not work • Ballot measures: have a campaign plan; take it to the streets • Develop FAQS and scripts for staff, commissioners, city council members and other municipal departments • Ensure that staff has information and review continuously • Remember…public power wears the “white hat” in your community
Development ofNew Utility Policies • Revise “Rules and Regulations” to accommodate telecom operations • Examples: service agreements, service rules, billing policies, credit and collection policies, discontinuance of service policies, etc. • Citizen programming committee