Petition for a Syracuse Public Broadband Utility

We, the undersigned, support establishing a community-owned broadband utility to bring affordable TV, Internet, phone, and related services to homes, institutions, and businesses in Syracuse, NY.

Our local telecommunication infrastructure is crucial to the social, economic, and democratic health of our community. Unfortunately, weak federal and state regulations do not protect us from the profiteering of privately-owned broadband operators. And so the only way a community can control its broadband service is by owning it.

Through community ownership, the high profits of private operators can be redirected toward: (1) much lower rates; (2) generous funding for public access programming and studio(s); (3) expanding affordable access; and (4) building a very high-speed state-of-the-art broadband network to provide unique opportunities for public education, telemedicine, and general economic development.

Financing can be obtained by issuing revenue bonds, which will be repaid from subscriber revenue, placing no financial liability on local government.

We therefore urge the mayor and city council of Syracuse, NY to support and assist in the creation of a community-owned broadband utility.