Seattle Considering Municipal Broadband

Seattle may take another shot at municipal broadband. Since the recent failed partnership between the city and Gigabit Squared, the future of broadband in Seattle has been up in the air.

Aside from municipally-run network, recently-appointed Chief Technology Officer Michael Mattmiller noted that the city should also consider the option of public-private partnerships and “leverage our assets to go out and deliver commercial Internet,” which presumably means finding a way to connect residents using the city’s miles of dark fiber.

“At this point we have to consider all options,” Mattmiller told the Seattle Times. “We have to look at, No. 1, how are we reducing barriers to competition, knowing that the marketplace is hungry for more broadband?”