FAQ

1. What exactly is a Community Fiber Network?
2. Who offers services?
3. What does public ownership mean?
4. Why publicly owned? Aren't private companies more efficient?
5. I heard there is tons of dark fiber available - why isn't the City using that?
6. What if a better technology comes along in a few years?
7. Doesn't fiber break easily?
8. Don't Comcast and Qwest already have fiber networks?
9. Comcast has DOCSIS 3, isn't that as good as fiber?
10. Should government compete with the private sector?
11. Do we really need faster connections?
12. Symmetric? Asymmetric? Huh?
13. Why not wireless?
14. What happened to the whole muni-wireless thing?
15. What about WiMAX?

Answers

1. What exactly is a Community Fiber Network?

   A Community Fiber Network is a community-owned broadband network that uses fiber-optic cables to connect all subscribers (the fiber cable goes all the way to the home, apartment, or business). It can offer phone, television, and Internet access. The capacity on the network is so great that it could offer tens of thousands of television channels while allowing thousands of people to talk on the phone while still offering Internet access at faster speeds than a cable modem system or DSL currently offer.

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2. Who offers the services?

   In some communities, the city government (Monticello) or local utility provides services (Chattanooga). In others, the network is only open to private service providers who compete for customers on equal terms (this would be an open network, Report: Open Access: The Third Way). Some cities have used a hybrid...