Thanks to Eric Lampland for passing on a report on Municipal Fiber to the Home Deployments:
Next Generation Broadband as a Municipal Utility from FTTH Council to the Blandin Broadband Strategy Board.
The report is a great state of FTTH in the US.
Municipal FTTH systems are continuing to proliferate where allowed.
As of March, 2008, there are 44 public providers (representing more than 60 individual cites) operating FTTH systems in North America. They list 2 communities in Minnesota: Barnesville and Windom.
More, and larger, municipal FTTH systems are under development for 2008
The “success” of municipal FTTH systems is substantiated by high subscriber take rates.
The typical FTTH business plan usually requiring a 30-40 percent take rate to “break even” with payback periods.
The effect of municipal FTTH systems on local economic development is significant.
Windom has noted that a trucking company relocated to Windom (at least in part) because of the access to FTTH.
Municipal FTTH systems have a positive impact on overall FTTH and broadband use.
CONCLUSION: Municipal FTTH Systems are an important element of national FTTH deployment and should be encouraged. OK, not a shocker coming from the FTTH Council – but also not wrong in my opinion.
