The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutSS - Broadband PresentationCity of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility and Master Plan Study Visioning Session June 22, 2023 Study Session Broadband-1 2 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Agenda Today’s Goal: Provide Council with the information it needs in order to decide what role, if any, the Council would like the City to play in improving broadband •Broadband 101 •Project Background •Project Progress Update •Review Visioning Exercise •Review Broadband Service Models •Discussion & Next Steps Study Session Broadband-2 3 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session What is – “Broadband” Anyway? Think of a 3 Megabyte attachment (song, doc, photo) ~ 25 megabits Broadband = 25 megabits per second download, 3 Megabits per second upload So - if you can download a 3 MB file in 1.0 second, You have “broadband” (Most cell phones and homes don’t) Study Session Broadband-3 4 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session What REALLY Matters in Broadband? 1.Latency (fast response) 2.Capacity (whole family on at once) 3.Quality of connection & experience 4.Lowest cost per bit 5.Speed (fast downloads and uploads) Everyone doesn’t need them all, Different technologies = different costs, different benefits Study Session Broadband-4 5 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session How is Broadband Delivered? Wireless… Satellite Cellular 4G/LTE 5G Wireline – aerial or underground DSL (Telephone-based – copper wires) Coax Cable Fiber Optic Cable - “future-proofed” All use fiber / No better technology today Study Session Broadband-5 6 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Fiber To The Home (FTTH) Aerial (overhead) or conduits (underground) Fiber optic cable to every parcel Requires new installation (~$600-$2,000/home) Fiber – virtually unlimited: Speed Capacity Zero latency Lowest cost/bit Quality Study Session Broadband-6 7 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Project Background Study will help to establish goals to address the following: Broadband’s critical role for residents and businesses Increase control of the City’s broadband future Address broadband availability, capacity, and investment Leverage regional planning and investment efforts Study Session Broadband-7 8 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Project Background The Broadband Feasibility and Master Plan Study will include: Key outcomes from a guided process to articulate key issues and desired goals Inventory of the City’s existing broadband facilities Key outcomes from the coordination of the City’s effort with CVAG Key outcomes from engaging stakeholders regarding their broadband challenges Defining a path forward to close the broadband gap Study Session Broadband-8 9 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Stakeholder Engagement •Key City Staff •Anchor Institutions: CSUSB - Palm Desert Campus, COD, DSUSD, PSUSD, Riverside County Fire Department - Palm Desert Station, Riverside County Library System - Palm Desert Branch, Riverside County Sheriff - Palm Desert Station, UCR - Palm Desert Campus •Regional Entities: Caltrans - District 8, CVAG, CVEP, Desert Recreation District, Joslyn Center, Sunline Transit Agency •Community Partners: El Paseo Business Improvement District, Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce Study Session Broadband-9 10 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Engagement Feedback •Major broadband concerns are availability, speed, cost, security, reliability, expandability, resiliency, and redundancy •Economic Development is one of driving forces behind improved broadband services •Cellular coverage is decent in most parts of the City, but not along Highway-111 and on the south end of the City •Free public Wi-Fi is currently unavailable in downtown business areas or outdoor recreation spaces •Not enough competing broadband service providers in the City to meet the needs of residents and the business community •Unserved and underserved, as well as low- and fixed-income communities need improved inexpensive broadband services •County provided public safety agencies within the city are well served •School districts are well served and offer free district provided cellular based broadband services to district students and families •Higher education institutions are well served, and are interested in improving broadband services for their students when off-campus •Local transit agency is well served, and provides free public Wi-Fi in their fleet •CVAG is designing and building a fiber-based network to interconnect the 550+ traffic signals throughout the valley Study Session Broadband-10 11 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Resident & Business Survey •Received 138 responses - 126 residential & 12 businesses •This is a very small sample size; therefore, it is difficult to apply to the overall population Survey Marketing •Available from February – April 2023 •1X – Print version of the Palm Desert BrightSide •3X – Digital version of the Palm Desert BrightSide •El Paseo Business Improvement District channels •3X – Palm Desert Area Chamber of Commerce (PDACC) eblasts •PDACC business breakfast •EngagePalmDesert.com •13X – Posts on the City’s Facebook page •4X – Posts on the City’s Twitter •Desert Sands Unified School District student portal (in English and Spanish) •Palm Desert affordable housing residents Study Session Broadband-11 12 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Resident & Business Survey Palm Desert Broadband Survey By Speed Palm Desert Broadband Survey By Provider Study Session Broadband-12 13 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Resident & Business Survey How do you use internet service at home? E Question Response Internet uses at home Email, shopping, news, banking, streaming (tv & music), web surfing , social media Home internet Reliability 34% = Somewhat to Very Dissatisfied 20% = Neutral 46% = Somewhat to Very Satisfied Home internet Speed / Data Rate 30% = Somewhat to Very Dissatisfied 26% = Neutral 44% = Somewhat to Very Satisfied Home internet Price 61% = Somewhat to Very Dissatisfied 14% = Neutral 25% = Somewhat to Very Satisfied Approximately how much do you pay every month? Maximum: $540 Average: $88 Use the internet to work from home or run a business?Yes: 49% No: 51% Study Session Broadband-13 14 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Resident & Business Survey How do you use internet service at home? E Question Response How often do you experience outages? 13% = Never 50% = 1 hour or less per month 24% = 1 hour or less per week 10% = 1 hour or less per day 3% = More frequently than 1 hour per day Do current providers meet the needs of the community? 31% = Bare Minimum to Not at All 31% = It's OK/Neutral 38% = Mostly to Very Well Participate in HOA effort to improve broadband service? Yes: 56% No: 9% Not Sure: 35% City needs to help facilitate better broadband services?75% = Agree or Strongly Agree 20% = Neutral 5% = Disagree or Strongly Disagree Study Session Broadband-14 15 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Market Assessment This assessment focused on 15 internet service options from a total of 6 ISPs 3 wired ISPs (DSL/Cable/Fiber): Spectrum, Frontier, EarthLink 1 fixed wireless ISP: Pacific Lightwave 2 satellite ISPs: HughesNet, ViaSat Study Session Broadband-15 16 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Market Assessment •8 residential internet options from 5 residential internet providers •7 business internet options from 4 business internet providers •The average residential download speed is 194 Mbps •The average residential upload speed is 25 Mbps •Businesses have an average of 2.88 wired providers available at their location •Approximately 98% of households have internet options from more than one provider •Cable internet services are available to 100% of households •DSL internet service are available to 98% of the area •Fiber internet services are available to roughly 12% of residents and 18% of businesses •One of the fiber internet service providers can provide businesses with up to 100Gbps Study Session Broadband-16 17 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Asset Inventory CVAG Phase 1 Study Session Broadband-17 18 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Asset Inventory Study Session Broadband-18 19 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Asset Inventory Study Session Broadband-19 20 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Broadband Visioning - Council Survey Responses – Questions 1 - 5 Question Response 1. How important is that high-speed internet is accessible?Very Important to Absolutely Essential 2. How important is that high-speed internet is affordable?Important to Absolutely Essential 3. Cellular services are adequate in the downtown areas? 20% = Agree to Strongly Agree 60% = Neutral 20% = Disagree to Strongly Disagree 4. Cellular services are adequate in the residential areas? 20% = Agree to Strongly Agree 60% = Neutral 20% = Disagree to Strongly Disagree 5. Cellular services are adequate in recreation areas? 20% = Agree to Strongly Agree 80% = Neutral 0% = Disagree to Strongly Disagree Study Session Broadband-20 21 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Broadband Visioning - Council Survey Responses – Questions 6 - 9 Question Response 6. Broadband services are adequate in downtown areas? 20% = Agree to Strongly Agree 20% = Neutral 60% = Disagree to Strongly Disagree 7. Broadband services are adequate in residential areas? 20% = Agree to Strongly Agree 20% = Neutral 60% = Disagree to Strongly Disagree 8. Broadband services are adequate in recreation areas? 20% = Agree to Strongly Agree 60% = Neutral 20% = Disagree to Strongly Disagree 9. City should encourage/enable broadband deployment? 60% = Agree to Strongly Agree 40% = Neutral 0% = Disagree to Strongly Disagree Study Session Broadband-21 22 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Broadband Visioning - Council Survey Response - Comments •Do you have any comments regarding any of the questions 1 through 9? Responses It is important to make broadband available to all Cost is a factor We need input from businesses about the sufficiency of cellular and broadband service in downtown/business area Current system works fine Have not fielded any complaints from residents about the speed of their internet Study Session Broadband-22 23 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Broadband Visioning - Council Survey Response - Question 10 •What do you see as the biggest benefits for Palm Desert as the City considers potentially enhancing broadband services throughout the community? Responses Attraction and retention of diverse business enterprises, including tech-based businesses Equal access for residents Coachella Valley in general has become an attractive "tele-commuting" site, lack of high-speed internet limits this Improving the quality of life for our residents Study Session Broadband-23 24 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Broadband Visioning - Council Survey Response - Question 11 •What are your biggest concerns for Pam Desert regarding the future of broadband services? And why? Responses Every major private provider has shown an inability to deliver good service Competition is essential to keep private sector on their toes Cost We need to be good stewards of the financial dollars of our citizens and taxpayers Study Session Broadband-24 25 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Broadband Models Ontario / Centennial Palm Desert Source: “Broadband Models for Unserved and Underserved Communities” - US Ignite Whitepaper Study Session Broadband-25 26 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Council Discussion •Questions & Answers •Discuss with Council what role if any the Council would like the City to play in improving broadband •Today’s Goal: provide Council with the information it needs in order to decide what that role should be •August 24th Study Session Goal: Council provides direction Study Session Broadband-26 27 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study Visioning Session Next Steps •Establish Community Broadband Vision – 8/24 •Preliminary Design & Cost Estimate – 10/13 •Conduct Financial Analysis – 10/13 •Evaluate Funding Alternatives – 10/13 •Smart City Technology Plan – 8/18 •Complete Broadband Feasibility & Master Plan Study – 11/17 Study Session Broadband-27 City of Palm Desert Broadband Feasibility and Master Plan Study Visioning Session Thank You!Study Session Broadband-28