The City of Houston is studying the possibility of a municipal-owned service to offer high-speed internet in the community.
The deadline to submit it is Monday, April 1.
The matter was discussed during a recent meeting of the Houston City Council Early returns from a survey indicate residents are interested in a city-owned system.
The announcement and the release of a survey to determine interest came recently from Houston Mayor Don Tottingham and Economic Development Director Rob Harrington, who say the project would bring faster internet at an affordable price to citizens and also create a new utility for the city, much like its electrical system that has paid for many community improvements. It’s a key factor also in recruitment of residents and employers to the community, they say. The point was brought home recently when an industry recruitment survey team visited and mentioned it.
No rates have been established for the system, which could offer speeds of up to 1 gig.
Tottingham said the city has held meetings with a consulting firm to study the project that would involve installing fiber optics on city-owned electrical poles. In addition to homeowners, businesses and other institutions could use the service.
The city has created a two-page survey with questions about television, internet and satisfaction with service providers and demographics. It was included in last week’s newspaper to Houston residents. It is attached to this story and also available at city hall.
A drawing for a gift card or electricity credits will be held among those completing the questionnaire.