LIT San Leandro Recognized by U.S. Conference of Mayors For Ultra High-Speed Internet Connection

SAN LEANDRO, Calif. - June 27, 2013 - PRLog -- Mayor Stephen Cassidy announced that on Monday, at its annual meeting, the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution in support of the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) "Gigabit City Challenge (http://transition.fcc.gov/Daily_Releases/Daily_Business/2013/db0118/DOC-318489A1.pdf)," an initiative calling for at least one gigabit community in all 50 states by 2015 in order to accelerate the creation of a critical mass of markets and innovation hubs with ultra-fast Internet speeds. The resolution, supported by nearly 200 mayors from across the country, specifically recognizes cities such as "San Leandro, California [which] have taken the initiative to implement their own local gigabit-speed networks."  Gigabit communities spur innovators to create new businesses and industries, spark connectivity among citizens and services, incentivize investment in high-tech industries, and create jobs.  

“The U.S. Conference of Mayors recognizes that gigabit-speed broadband is creating new businesses and jobs and serving as a catalyst for greater investment and creativity in communities across the nation,” stated Mayor Cassidy.  “Lit San Leandro, our gigabit network, is helping transform San Leandro into a center of innovation in the San Francisco Bay Area.”

In February, then-Chairman Julius Genachowski of the FCC visited San Leandro to acknowledge the unique public/private partnership that created San Leandro's fiber optic network, known at Lit San Leandro.  In a keynote address to local business leaders, City staff and proud residents, Chairman Genachowski declared San Leandro “a model for the country.”  Lit San Leandro’s mission is to attract new businesses and investment to the San Leandro area by modernizing communications infrastructure, without relying on public funds.  Since the network became operational last year, businesses near the fiber optic loop have been able to access internet speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second, or 2,000 times faster than the average U.S. internet connection.

San Leandro is rapidly building new models for growing business through further innovations. “Through a public-partnership, San Leandro has hired the East Bay’s first Chief Innovation Officer, Deborah Acosta, who has a laser-like focus on creating investment and job opportunities,” stated City Manager Chris Zapata.  

As Chief Innovation Officer, Ms. Acosta is rapidly accessing the networks needed to draw investment through the Lit San Leandro fiber optic loop opportunities:  “Over 1.5 million square feet of building space has been connected to Lit San Leandro since July 2012, with 1.2 million since February 2013.  An additional 1.5 million square feet is in the pipeline and growing weekly.  Opportunities range from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center’s state of the art, tech-focused new hospital, to repositioning historical retail centers into mixed use tech centers, including Bayfair Center and West Gate,” said Acosta.  “San Leandro has positioned itself to take advantage of the world’s 21st century communications superhighway – laser fast, high speed broadband.”

The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There are 1,302 such cities in the country today.  The primary roles of the USCM are to:  promote the development of effective national urban/suburban policy, strengthen federal-city relationships, ensure that federal policy meets urban needs, provide Mayors with leadership and management tools, and create a forum in which Mayors can share ideas and information.  Resolutions adopted at the organization’s Annual Meeting, which is held in a different city each June, guide the priorities and activities of the Conference and its professional staff based in Washington, D.C.

RESOLUTION

IN SUPPORT OF THE GIGABIT CITY CHALLENGE

WHEREAS, internet connections of one gigabit per second are approximately 100 times faster than the average fixed “high-speed” internet connection, and can handle multiple streams of large-format, high-definition content like online video calls, movies, and immersive educational experiences; and

WHEREAS, cities such as Chattanooga, Tennessee and San Leandro, California have taken the initiative to implement their own local gigabit-speed networks; and

WHEREAS, cities such as Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas, Austin, Texas, and Provo, Utah have taken advantage of the opportunity to partner with the private sector to implement local gigabit-speed networks; and

WHEREAS, gigabit communities spur innovators to create new businesses and industries, spark connectivity among citizens and services, incentivize investment in high-tech industries, and create jobs; and

WHEREAS, at this year’s U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski announced the “Gigabit City Challenge,” calling for at least one gigabit community in all 50 states by 2015 in order to accelerate the creation of a critical mass of markets and innovation hubs with ultra-fast Internet speeds; and

WHEREAS, Chairman Genachowski announced plans to create a new online clearinghouse of best practices to collect and disseminate information about how to lower the costs and increase the speed of broadband deployment nationwide, including to create gigabit communities; and

WHEREAS, on May 1, President Obama nominated Tom Wheeler to succeed Chairman Julius Genachowski as the next Chairman of the FCC,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that The United States Conference of Mayors supports the FCC’s Gigabit City Challenge, and will continue to collaborate with the FCC, which will be holding workshops on gigabit communities, and supports the development of an online clearinghouse of best practices; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that The U.S. Conference of Mayors urges Chairman-Designate Wheeler, when confirmed, to continue the Gigabit City Challenge and also to develop new initiatives that involve collaboration with Mayors and local governments.

About San Leandro

A dynamic and diverse community of 86,000 residents located in the center of the San Francisco Bay Area, San Leandro maintains a safe, small town feel, while offering a wide range of shopping, dining, recreation, miles of shoreline, and easy access to regional parks and nature areas.  San Leandro businesses enjoy multiple advantages including close proximity to the Oakland International Airport and Port of Oakland, two major freeways, two BART stations, and access to a large and well-educated workforce.  Through a public-private partnership known as Lit San Leandro (www.LitSanLeandro.com), a fiber optic network circles San Leandro's industrial and commercial core offering businesses virtually unlimited internet connectivity.

Visit www.sanleandro.org to learn more about San Leandro.  To receive City press releases or other notifications by email, sign up at www.sanleandro.org/portal.