South San Francisco approved the next step in its plan to install fiber optic cables in the Westborough area of the city, which has long suffered from poor connectivity.
The council unanimously approved a contract to move ahead with construction and installation of the cables.
“With this new fiber installation, we’ll be able to lease fiber to carriers to help build out in the Westborough area,” said Tony Barrera, director of information technology. “Currently there are only two carriers in the area that provide service out there, which are AT&T and Comcast. If we do lease it, that would be another revenue stream for the city.”
The project is funded via the COVID-era American Rescue Plan Act funds and is estimated to cost about $1.14 million. It had received over $12 million in ARPA funds starting around 2021, one of the highest amounts received in the county. Part of that went to other broadband expansion projects, as well as a sea level rise initiative at Oyster Point. It also funded the guaranteed income pilot program, which launched in October 2021 and provided $500 per month to 160 South San Francisco residents for a year in one of the first attempts to give low-income residents unrestricted funds.
The funds for the fiber optic project must be allocated by the end of this year and used by 2026, Barrera said.
The project will install 288 strands of fiber optic cable along Westborough Boulevard from Westborough Preschool to West Orange Avenue. It will also help improve connectivity at the school itself and Fire Station 64, according to the staff presentation during the Wednesday, Sept. 25 council meeting.
Councilmember Mark Nagales, whose district includes the Westborough area, said he was looking forward to the changes.
“We’ve allocated this money from ARPA back in 2021, so it’s taken some time to get there, but this is really exciting. For those of us that live in Westborough, we know how much of a dead zone there is up there, in terms of WiFi and just internet connectivity,” Nagales said. “I think Westborough is going to really benefit from this.”
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
(650) 344-5200 ext. 102
Daily Journal staff
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