The Broadband Task Force has completed and submitted their report to the City Manager.
Phase 1 Project History:
October 18, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting
October 13, 2016
Working Group Meeting
September 22, 2016
Final Task Force Recommendations to City Manager and Tilson Report
September 13, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting
August 23, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting (Rescheduled. Date TBD)
August 09, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting
June 09, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting
June 01, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting
May 18, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting
April 27, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting
April 12, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting
March 02, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting
January 27, 2016
Broadband Task Force Meeting
November 18, 2015
Broadband Task Force Meeting
October 14, 2015
Interactive Community Forum: Creating Better Broadband in Cambridge
September 16, 2015
Broadband Task Force Meeting
July 30, 2015
Broadband Task Force Meeting
June 23,2015
Tilson hired as Broadband Task Force Consultants
June 17, 2015
Regular Meeting of the Task Force
April 9, 2015
Regular Meeting of the Task Force
February 25, 2015
Regular Meeting of the Task Force
October 15, 2014
Broadband Task Force Members Appointed
The work of the Task Force will help to ensure that Cambridge remains a world-class City in which to live, work, innovate and learn. The final report of the committee will assist the City in planning for the future and setting realistic expectations with the public, as creating alternative solutions to single provider internet service can take years to fully implement.
The Task Force will meet every other month for 12 to 18 months and will be charged with:
- Engaging the broader community, including residents, business and university partners, in understanding their current and future broadband needs;
- Understanding and documenting existing broadband service in Cambridge – speed, reliability, cost and customer service;
- Understanding and documenting the existing broadband and fiber infrastructure – both private and public;
- Examining best practices and models used by other municipalities across the United States to improve access to broadband services;
- Developing a range of alternatives for improving access to broadband services, including: working with existing providers, increased private competition, a mesh network, a municipal fiber network connected to public housing properties, a municipal fiber backbone throughout the city and a complete municipal broadband network;
- Evaluating each alternative by conducting an analysis of the level of service provided, cost to customers and to the City, customer service, sustainability and flexibility of the system to adapt to improving technologies;
- Creating business models for providing internet service that include: funding, cost recovery, governance model, and subscription structure, including options for people with limited ability to pay; and
- Developing recommendations for leveraging public- private partnerships, including regional initiatives, in achieving alternative access to broadband services.
The task force is comprised of approximately 20 residents, industry professionals and business representatives.