City bringing fiber-optic broadband to Pioneer Square

The city of Seattle is bringing high-speed fiber-optic broadband service to Pioneer Square, laying down conduit so private companies can bid to provide Internet service, and ultimately lease space in the pipes from the city.

While improving the streets in Pioneer Square, the city laid down big strings of city-owned pipes, used for fiber-optic service, which is about 100 times faster than cable or DSL (digital subscriber line), said Mayor Mike McGinn's spokesman, Aaron Pickus.

If no companies submit proposals, the city will "take steps directly to make service available," according to a statement from the mayor's office.

The cables have been laid down First Avenue South from Cherry Street to South Jackson Street. The Internet provider awarded the project would pull fiber-optic cable through the conduit and hook it up to businesses and homes along the route.

McGinn hopes fiber-optic broadband service will be available to companies by the end of September.

"Businesses have told us the Internet service available to them in Pioneer Square is 'barely adequate,' " McGinn said in a statement.

The pipes were paid for with the existing project budget of $60,000. It could be the first of many such projects in the city.

"Wherever it makes sense," Pickus said about where else these pipes might show up. "This is really the infrastructure of the future. In order to be competitive on a global scale — with cities around the world — we're going to need to start making these investments now."

David Krueger: 206-464-2212 or dkrueger@seattletimes.com