San Leandro's Fiber Optic Network Recognized During U.S. Conference of Mayors

From the City of San Leandro

During the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors, Lit San Leandro was recognized for its ultra high-speed internet connection

A resolution was passed in support of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) “Gigabit City Challenge,” an initiative calling for at least one gigabit community in all 50 states by 2015 in order to accelerate the creation of a critical mass of markets and innovation hubs with ultra-fast Internet speeds.

The resolution, supported by nearly 200 mayors from across the country, specifically recognizes cities such as “San Leandro, California [which] have taken the initiative to implement their own local gigabit-speed networks," a City press release stated. 

Gigabit communities spur innovators to create new businesses and industries, spark connectivity among citizens and services, incentivize investment in high-tech industries, and create jobs, the press release said.

“The U.S. Conference of Mayors recognizes that gigabit-speed broadband is creating new businesses and jobs and serving as a catalyst for greater investment and creativity in communities across the nation,” saidMayor Cassidy.  “Lit San Leandro, our gigabit network, is helping transform San Leandro into a center of innovation in the San Francisco Bay Area.”

In February, then-Chairman Julius Genachowski of the FCC visited San Leandro to acknowledge the unique public/private partnership that created San Leandro’s fiber optic network, known at Lit San Leandro. 

In a keynote address to local business leaders, City staff and proud residents, Chairman Genachowski declared San Leandro “a model for the country.” Lit San Leandro’s mission is to attract new businesses and investment to the San Leandro area by modernizing communications infrastructure, without relying on public funds. 

Since the network became operational last year, businesses near the fiber optic loop have been able to access internet speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second, or 2,000 times faster than the average U.S. internet connection.

San Leandro is rapidly building new models for growing business through further innovations.

“Through a public-partnership, San Leandro has hired the East Bay’s first Chief Innovation Officer, Deborah Acosta, who has a laser-like focus on creating investment and job opportunities,” City Manager Chris Zapata said.

As Chief Innovation Officer, Acosta is rapidly accessing the networks needed to draw investment through the Lit San Leandro fiber optic loop opportunities: “Over 1.5 million square feet of building space has been connected to Lit San Leandro since July 2012, with 1.2 million since February 2013.

An additional 1.5 million square feet is in the pipeline and growing weekly. Opportunities range from the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center’s state of the art, tech-focused new hospital, to repositioning historical retail centers into mixed use tech centers, including Bayfair Center and West Gate,” Acosta said. “San Leandro has positioned itself to take advantage of the world’s 21st century communications superhighway – laser fast, high speed broadband.”

The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official non-partisan organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more.

There are 1,302 such cities in the country today. The primary roles of the USCM are to: promote the development of effective national urban/suburban policy, strengthen federal-city relationships, ensure that federal policy meets urban needs, provide Mayors with leadership and management tools, and create a forum in which Mayors can share ideas and information.

Resolutions adopted at the organization’s Annual Meeting, which is held in a different city each June, guide the priorities and activities of the Conference and its professional staff based in Washington, D.C.