Some Petalumans still lack high-speed Internet

Despite Petaluma’s proximity to Silicon Valley, some residents of the city have little or no access to high-speed Internet, a major impediment in an increasingly connected world.

According to a recent report for Petaluma’s Technology Advisory Committee, 4 percent of residents have acess to just one or no broadband Internet providers. Broadband connectivity provides faster speeds than dial-up Internet, allowing users to stream content.

Nearly 95 percent of Petaluma residents have access to at least three high-speed Internet providers, according to the report from Broadband Now, a Richmond, Virginia, research firm. The majority of residents connect to the Internet via Comcast, AT&T or Sonic, according to the report.

Angelo Sacerdote, a new member of the Technology Advisory Committee, said those with little or no choice in service providers are at a disadvantage because they can’t shop around for the best option.

“If there is only one choice then you can’t shop around and get a better price,” he said. “You are limited by the speeds that are offered.”

The report lists Petaluma as the 4,567th most connected city in the U.S. by access to broadband. There are a total of 26 Internet providers in Petaluma, mostly specializing in business services.

Petaluma’s rate of 95 percent of residents with three or more providers beats the state and national average, and is about the same as the countywide average. Only 54 percent of Californians and 56 percent of U.S. residents have a choice between at least three broadband providers, according to the report.

Reports like this help leaders make policy that encourages more connectivity, said Jameson Zimmer, director of content for Broadband Now. He said that Internet access is critical for communities that want to participate in the modern economy.

“Local governments use this information to get better Internet in their area. It gives them a bird’s-eye view,” he said. “The lack of high-speed Internet is absolutely a huge problem. The FCC has set a goal to increase coverage and make sure everyone has access.”

Tim Williamsen, Petaluma’s information technology manager, said that the city has spoken with Comcast and AT&T about expanding broadband networks in Petaluma, but nothing came of it. Santa Rosa-based Sonic has connected two Petaluma business parks with fiber optic cable and has the rights to use the fiber that runs along the SMART tracks, Williamsen said.

“It’s really about what makes sense for their business. There isn’t a lot of influence that we have,” he said. “We try and take advantage of opportunities as they happen.”

Unlike television providers, the city does not secure franchise agreements with Internet providers, he said. City Hall is connected to AT&T’s fiber network, he said.

Zimmer said that residents in rural areas that are not wired for broadband technically have access to satellite Internet, but that can be expensive, require specialized equipment, and is not as reliable as ground-based networks. Low-income residents without fast Internet are particularly at a disadvantage, he said, as broadband access is increasingly important to do business, find a job or do school homework.

“We’d like to see more competition in the market,” he said. “It’s surprising how many people don’t have options for broadband. There is very little knowledge about this issue among politicians.”

The average download speed for Petaluma residents, 61.04 megabits per second - 11 percent faster than the state average and 30 percent faster than the national average - is fast enough to stream “Game of Thrones,” Zimmer said.

“Everyone is streaming everything now,” Sacerdote said. “It’s getting to the point where you need speeds faster than what are available.”

He said that as Petaluma is increasingly engulfed by the Bay Area’s technology industry, residents are still using DSL, a form of broadband based on telephone lines that is slower compared with cable and fiber optic connections.

“It’s ironic that, as people get kicked out of their homes and housing prices go up from the tech industry, people are still bumbling around on DSL,” he said. “You’d think we would have seen bigger increases in speeds.”

(Contact Matt Brown at matt.brown@arguscourier.com.)