Atherton Fiber
Atherton Fiber Project
In mid-2014 the City Council created the Technology Subcommittee. The Subcommittee is led by Council Members Rick DeGolia and Bill Widmer. The make-up of the Committee also includes numerous interested residents and local school representatives. In late 2014, the Subcommittee released a Request for Information (RFI) to potential local service providers, including Google, AT&T and Comcast. The RFI expressed the Town's interest in various options to establish Town-wide connectivity and provide high-bandwidth services to its residents, Town organizations, facilities (library, city hall, council chambers) and schools (public and private).
The Town envisioned the creation of a network that used existing and future public infrastructure to deliver service. Potential usage across such a system could include emergency notification, traffic signal management, security management, street light management, information sharing, and other traditional communications, entertainment and internet access. None of the traditional companies responded. Local resident, Mike Farmwald, learned of the RFI and responded to the Town’s Technology Committee. After learning more about what the Committee was exploring, Mike created Atherton Fiber.
Atherton Fiber was created as a private "competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC)" so that it could use local utility poles and operate as a telecommunications utility. Atherton Fiber is independent from the Town and there is no agreement between the Town and Atherton Fiber for the provision of services; however, Atherton Fiber is committed to bringing the Council and IT Subcommittee’s vision to reality.
Atherton Fiber began building their fiber network in Atherton from start to finish. Today, Atherton Fiber is engaged in planning, designing, and building an even greater infrastructure, bringing fiber to the home (FTTH) and to nearby businesses and schools, as well as nationally.
Atherton Fiber continues to provide premium fiber, expanding to local communities while working to bridge the digital divide. Atherton Fiber specializes in operating an open access fiber network, delivering the fastest symmetrical Internet connection to its customers. This means that any service provider or customer can make use of the last mile fiber to provide services to customers, or for their own IT needs. Currently, Atherton Fiber has partnered with local service providers that have expressed an interest in providing service to Atherton residents including Berkeley based LMi.net, and San Francisco based Monkeybrains, as well as creating its own ISP brand. As Atherton Fiber continues to expand, it strives in providing the best service to every customer, while building an open infrastructure that gives access to providers and choice to end users.
The Atherton Fiber Network is a huge win-win for the Atherton community which puts us on the cutting edge of service delivery options using a state-of-the-art fiber network.
For more information on Atherton Fiber, visit the Atherton Fiber website. Check us out at:
The Town will provide basic information via its website, but because this is a private network designed and built privately, the Town will refer most issues directly to Atherton Fiber. Contact information is available on the Town’s website and as more information becomes available, the Town will list it here.
Twitter: #AthertonTech