By Jon Schaefer
The Margate Commission has approved a development agreement with Sifi Networks to bring fiber internet to every street in the city.
Sifi Network will fully fund the project and provide an open-source network, creating competition among service providers.
“There is a variety of benefits to residents and the city,” said Mayor Anthony Caggiano, including lowering the cost of internet service, faster speeds, and redundancy in the network.
The city will not receive any revenue share, but there will be significant cost savings. Sifi will pay for permit fees, applications, and inspectors.
Every household will have access to the network with high-speed internet projected at $65 and a reduced rate of $35 for low-income homes as determined by the city. These projections are based on previous agreements with cities in California, New England, Texas, and Arizona.
The fiber network will provide 10 gigabytes of data compared to the current 250 megabytes, and the cost will be $20,000 per year compared to the current $25,000 per year.
No start or end date has been set for the project at this time.
Sifi will also cover any damages to gas and water lines during construction.
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