Seattle’s Road to a Gig

FCC Gigabit WorkshopMarch 27, 2012Washington DC

Gigabit in SeattlePlanned Gigabit Squared Service Areas

Seattle 2005Broadband for All:• Within a decade all of Seattle

will have affordable access to an interactive, open, broadband network capable of supporting applications and services using integrated layers of voice, video and data, with sufficient capacity to meet the ongoing information, communications and entertainment needs of the city’s citizens, businesses, institutions and municipal government.

• ONLY FTTP COMPLEMENTED BY WIRELESS OVERLAY CAN REALIZE THIS VISION

Technological Revolution

Popular Name for the Period

Big-Bang Initiating the Revolution

New or Redefined Infrastructure(s)

Year

FIRST Industrial Revolution Arkwright’s mill in Cromford, England

Canals and waterways; turnpike roads

1771

SECOND Age of Steam and Railways Test of “Rocket” steam engine for Liverpool- Manchester railway

RailwaysTelegraph (along railways)City gas

1829

THIRD Age of Steel, Electricity and Heavy Engineering

Carnegie Bessemer Steel Plant in Pittsburgh

Worldwide Shipping in Steel ShipsWorldwide railwaysGreat Bridges and Tunnels

1875

FOURTH Age of Oil, Automobile and Mass Production

Model-T in Detroit Network of Roads, Highways, Ports,Network of Oil Ducts AirportsUniversal ElectricityAnalog telecommunications

1908

FIFTH Age of Information and Telecommunications

1st Intel Processor Santa Clara

World Digital telecommunications (cable, fiber, radio, satellite)Internet/Electronic mail, e-servicesHigh Speed physical Transport

1971

Based on Carlota Perez, “Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital”. Page 11

Source: Google

Fundamental Question:Who Decides What Drivers Will Shape the Future Contours of

Broadband in Seattle