How To Get Nothing Done

The City has created another useless document ensuring nothing changes and mediocre communication services are protected.

The City has created another useless document ensuring nothing changes and mediocre communication services are protected.

During a Special Meeting of the City Council on 8/5/2024, an inexperienced company named Uptown presented a Fiber Report that they tried to pass off as a “plan.” Uptown was selected to author this “plan” by former Public Works Director Eric Johnston along with various members of the BAG (Broadband Advisory Group), who are known big-telecom-sympathizers. As usual, citizens—who would have stood up for the public interest—were not allowed to comment. I’ve written before about how biased the BAG is; you can read the article here.

Hopefully, this article serves as a primer for your review of the full document, you can read my full critique here.

THIS IS NOT A PLAN! 

This report is presented as a plan, unfortunately, it lacks many of the key features of a plan:


1. There are no statistically significant sources in the entire study/report. The only thing of value is that it identifies a few obvious areas needing improvement in the city’s own fiber system. 

2. No standards are set and a Dig Once Policy is not mentioned. For example, Mount Vernon’s standard for their public fiber network requires installing 144-count single-mode fiber, carrying 16 wavelengths per strand, in two 2-inch schedule 40 PVC (or HDPE) conduit, with vaults 1,500 feet apart or more often if necessary. 

There is nothing like that is in this document. There are no standards anywhere. To review a real document outlining standards please see this document by Erik Alm, former TAGNW Director Michael Gan, and me. It has all of the necessary details to be a plan.

3. While lit and dark fiber leasing and service models are discussed briefly, there are no firm decisions regarding testing resources, or leasing this fiber to nonprofits that may want to address the digital divide.

4.  Perhaps the only positive point in the report was the discovery that a majority of Bellingham residents would welcome having the City as their internet provider.

Otherwise, this report is so bad that the COB would be within its rights to ask for its money back. So what does it do well? It protects the interests of big telecom rather well.   

It Was Written By…

The “plan” was primarily written by WAVE employee Melissa Miller who was a voting member and big-telecom supporter on the BAG, (reported here.) Melissa Miller now claims to be retired and we’re told she has no bias toward protecting WAVE and/or private fiber after 30 years of working for private fiber companies. We have her word for it. The second “expert” Uptown consulted was the COB network engineer, John Gaven, who was selected by former Public Works Director Johnston with help from Miller and big telecom. The third expert was Ray Poorman who owns CSSNW, which is a private telecommunications facility on C-Street that charges even more than WAVE. Poorman boasted at a COB council meeting in 2018, one attended by many public fiber supporters, that all the communications that go through Bellingham run through “his house.” The Security Risks of this situation are covered below. 

The Telecom Claims:

  1. Unfortunately, none of the private companies involved would provide maps or any details of their networks to either Uptown, the BAG, or the COB, other than to make unsubstantiated claims that they had more than enough resources and installing a public fiber network was unnecessary.
  2. The only speed data they provided was the inaccurate, browser-based testing data instead of load testing data like RRUL. (This document outlines differences between a network load test as opposed to the browser based tests the FCC, state, and telecom companies use to protect their own interests.)
  3. They refused to substantiate their negative claims about other public networks, like Hillsboro, OR, and they excluded data from the best public networks in the nation like Chattanooga, TN. Miller claims the information about Hillsboro is “anecdotal” when, in fact, we have actual RRUL test data from there. They also ignored the success of our neighboring towns like Anacortes and Mount Vernon.
  4. They neglected to mention that their local install costs are much higher than Anacortes, Mount Vernon, Hillsboro, Chattanooga, and most of the rest of the developed world.

Basically, they biased the data in their favor and expect the City Council to do what they always do: refuse to look deeper into a matter or educate themselves on how the technologies they are dealing with actually work. Several council members socialize with WAVE executives; that’s how influence works, right? 

Backed Up By Statistics?
There are not enough data points to be significant, because most of their findings come from interviews with fewer than 10 companies, in many cases, only five. For example, they talked to Johnston’s old buddies at Dawson Construction, but not the more community minded folks at RAM Construction. As for companies that really use a lot of data, like Faithlife? Nope; asking them didn’t fit Miller’s narrative, so they didn’t even ask.
 
Playing With Words and Obfuscating the Truth
Miller was clear in telling the Council that “businesses have access to fiber.” What she didn’t mention was how expensive and inaccessible WAVE fiber is. By “access” she simply means that if they have lots of money they might be able to get it, and then pay way too much for it every month. Having access to something doesn’t mean you can afford to use it. For example, there is a Porsche dealership close to my home. So, using her analogy, I have access to Porsches and shouldn’t complain, but having access to a Porsche is of little use to me and 90% of the citizens in Bellingham and Whatcom County, as is having access to the outrageously priced WAVE.   

Our Backhaul Has Virtually No Providers
According to Wikipedia, “Backhaul generally refers to the side of the network that communicates with the global internet.” (For more details click here.)


No matter who is providing you with Fronthaul, whether from your cell phone to a tower, or your home to the Comcast office, at some point they all have to buy backhaul in order to get the signal out of your local area and into the rest of the world.

In Bellingham and Whatcom County we have fewer than five backhaul providers and they are not all available everywhere. Most providers only have one backhaul choice in a given area. So really, if you look at your communications from the standpoint of backhaul, you actually have no choice in communications.   

Security Risks: One Line In, One Out.
Our emergency services system has a wireless backup called FirstNet, but when it comes to saving lives, the quality of our communications is critical and a wireless backup is NOT ideal. Remember, wireless is only an extension of fiber. The longer it takes a signal to get back to fiber, if it gets there at all, the more precious time is lost. Yet we have almost all of our communications eggs in one basket.  
Right now, as Ray Poorman of CSSNW himself indicated in 2018, virtually all of our services “run through his house.” Which is a data center on C-Street. This means that virtually all of our fiber backhaul runs through one physical location, giving our most critical services a single point of failure. Damage to that C Street data center would sever our communications access to the rest of the world.

A real plan would include a second public data center, in a different physical location, with more backhaul options. A partnership with the City of Mount Vernon or NoaNet as backhaul providers for the second datacenter seems appropriate here. It would also get us out of our dangerous telecom scenario while greatly increasing customer choice and performance. 

Finally, as a reminder, WAVE charges $900/month for Gigabit service and often $10K to $35K to hook up. This is 13.5 times more than the monthly cost of fiber in Hillsboro, OR, Anacortes, WA, Chattanooga, TN, and most public networks in the U.S. It is 10 to 35 times more to get hooked up to, if WAVE even has fiber in your area at all, which they probably don’t. It is 36 times more per month when compared to most of the rest of the developed world, and tens of thousands of times more to hook up. And yes, your new pretend fiber providers are paying some company like WAVE through the nose for private, overpriced, services which is why they don’t perform much better than Comcast, or in some cases, worse. The age of pretend fiber is upon us and won’t pass until we have a Dig Once Policy and a City/County wide public fiber network. 

About Jon Humphrey

Citizen Journalist • Bellingham • Member since May 23, 2017

Jon Humphrey is currently a music educator in Bellingham and very active in the community. He also has decades of professional IT experience including everything from support to development. He [...]

Comments by Readers

Tim Surratt

Aug 24, 2024

Jon,

Thank you for continuing to advocate and inform around this issue.  As one who spent a career in “tech”, I have found far too many otherwise intelligent people who fail to believe they can understand anything about technology on their own.  Instead they believe presumed experts who may or may not be qualified.  This issue here is in large part an economic one, but the technology ‘wrapper’ seems to have turned their brains off.  Additionally, the elements of a real plan: who does what with which resources at what cost by when, seem to escape too many erstwhile public servants.

Tim Surratt

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Randy Petty

Sep 25, 2024

Now that some infrastructure bills passed at the federal level, the FCC revised the definition of broadband to 100/20 this yeare and we see some funding/activity at the state level ( see link), what does it mean for rural areas in Whatcom County?
I’m more interested in getting service than who/how it gets provided.

If what I’ve read is correct ( roughly $20k per mile to lay fiber underground), is it more practical to “encourage” and possibly subsidize companies that already have infrastructure in the vicinity to extend their services?  
I just spoke with a friend who lives off the west end of Goshen Road.  Astound broadband is hooking him up right now. ( out in the Agate Bay area, they turned us down last year)

https://broadband-wacommerce.hub.arcgis.com/maps/e6cdcac1037141d6a3f058c3dcc9d06a/about


“The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines broadband as fixed broadband services with download speeds of at least 100 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of at least 20 Mbps. This is the first time the FCC has increased the minimum broadband speed requirement in almost a decade. The new standard is in line with the bipartisan infrastructure law. ” 

 “The FCC’s previous definition of broadband was 25 Mbps for downloads and 3 Mbps for uploads, which was in place since 2015. “
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Randy Petty

Sep 25, 2024

Wave, referred to above, is now Astound Broadband.  A quick look at their services don’t show anything like $900 per month so I’m missing something.

https://www.astound.com/washington/internet/gig/


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Jon Humphrey

Sep 25, 2024

Thanks guys, you are confusing a lot of issues. The $900/month is for gigabit backhaul services used  for community projects, etc. The obsolete services you are referring to, that don’t hold up to real testing like RRUL load testing, cost less because they don’t work well. Everything is an extension of fiber. Even Elon will tell you he needs more fiber on the ground for Starlink to work well. The private companies have had their chance. If they were going to do a good job they would have already. In the meantime, without lower priced, more robust fiber backhaul, and mid-mile fiber, throughout the county, all of our connections will remain overpriced and 2nd rate. Please read the book “Fiber” available at the library. In the meantime Gigabit fiber to the home, with robust support throughout the entire chain, is $25 month in Japan, $50 in Hillsboro, $70 in Chatanooga, the list goes on. Aerial copper cabling, and aerial cabling in general, has a much shorter lifespan than fiber and has much less bandwidth by default. You are arguing for Whatcom County to shine shit instead of enter the modern age to protect awful companies that could have done a better job.

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Randy Petty

Sep 25, 2024

Thanks for the clarification John. I admit, I’m focused on me.  But you’re highlighting the bigger picture.  As far as the private companies, I hate to admit it but if I had to justify my decisions to my share holders, I’d be taking a 2nd and 3rd look at extending my infrastructure into areas that are only going to service a relative handful.  From my mostly ignorant perspective, I’d think they would need to be subsidized.
Once that happens, then if they are given somewhat of a monopoly status ( similar to other public utilities), government can mandate service.  $25 in Japan but does that include the farmer living a mile beyond the end of any cable or fiber?   We can leave DSL out of the discussion because it doesn’t extend from DSLAM boxes very far and I don’t think you can meet the new FCC broadband definition with it anyway. 
One thing I’d guess that new definition does is expand the number of Americans who don’t have broadband.
I’m just trying to be the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. Joining a Washington State Broadband Office zoom webinar this afternoon ( looks like they’ll be every other Wednesday going forward).  Emailed our port authority.  It’s going to take some sort of organization, not an individual, to petition the state for some of those funds ( their website suggested native american reservations have had success with that).

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Jon Humphrey

Sep 25, 2024

This is where the Mount Vernon Open Access model is worth looking at. Private and public entities can lease public fiber from them.

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Randy Petty

Sep 25, 2024

From the governor’s office, June 2023:
“Thanks to legislation passed in 2021, certain public entities can provide broadband services directly to their constituencies. Some Washington cities and counties, including the city of Anacortes and Jefferson County’s public utility district have started their own internet service providers, rather than waiting for private companies to build out the infrastructure.

“We’re taking that extra step to be that retail ISP… so that, in our rural areas, we can ensure our customers that if we build it, there will be someone there to provide that service and take care of that service in case anything goes wrong,” said Will O’Donnell, communications director of Jefferson’s Public Utility District.”

https://medium.com/wagovernor/making-internet-for-all-possible-in-washington-3160670364bd

 

 

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Jon Humphrey

Sep 25, 2024

So some historical points here.
In one of my articles I dug up a video clip where Inslee himself talks about, “honoring the telecoms” when talking about broadband in relation to the pandemic. Right before establishing the State Broadband Office. I confirmed this with a few others working on this issue too. Inslee, as usual, wants to appear to be progressive without actually being progressive. You know, like most of the “Democrats” nationwide. New parties are needed in general to break up the toxic duopoly, but I’ll get back on topic.
Moving on by entity:
COB: I have many articles that show how FORMER Public Works Director Johnston blocked all efforts for our existing public fiber to be used to our benefit even during the pandemic. He even created a telecom studded BAG (Broadband Advisory Group). People forget that originally Johnston didn’t even want people appointed to the BAG. He wanted to select the members himself. Then he tried NOT to even record the sessions. Public Commentary was NOT allowed during sessions. Thanks to NWCitizen readers responses, and the recording of the 1st meeting by an attendee that posted it to YouTube, they did eventually record the rest of them. COB Public Works Commission Meetings still DO NOT allow public comment and are open in name only.  
The interim director has not given us a response on his plans yet. However, some entities at the COB at least wanted to use our resources to setup city-wide Wi-Fi and provide real low-income connections. Big telecom low-income connections remain a total joke and test well below the state “high-speed” standard.
PUD: Commissioner Deshmane especially worked hard for the PUD to be a provider. The PUD even hired a broadband manager who wanted that too. So they already have the staff in place if “something goes wrong.” Their efforts have been blocked by the PUDs general manager Christopher (Chris) Heimgartner who refers everyone to big telecom and WAVE. He’s also dropped the ball on developing a comprehensive plan for the PUD. He moved here to retire, not work.
Unfortunately Eddy Ury did NOT win the race for PUD Commissioner, and we got Todd Lagastee instead, who has worked with Andrew Redding of the Democrats to sabotage public fiber efforts before. (See Servais’ article on how the Dems. sabotaged the TAGNW Broadband Strategy Document when we stood up to special interests influencing it via Dems. Chair Andrew Redding it in the background.) So we’ll see how that goes. The PUD is doing a 1992 style cable extension to SOME (note some) of the residents of Point Roberts. I wrote an article about that too.
Note: The original COB network was built by the PUD and then sold to the COB. I’ve heard about 3 different stories as to why. None of them seem legit or believable.
Port: Yes, the Port got some money from the State but almost entirely ignored Economic Director Gina Stark’s recommendations from her excellent Public Fiber plan. Bell and Briscoe especially made sure that the money was given to low performing private telecoms instead and wasted it on virtually worthless non-fiber “solutions.” However, I’ll blame Sheppard too since he’s spineless and let it happen. A five Commissioner Port movement is underway and is a good idea, unless we just get 3 additional spineless Corporate Democrats like Sheppard. What’s the use in that?
Democrats also argue that it’s a gender issue, and a “good old boys club” at the Port but Bell, Sheppard and Briscoe listened almost entirely to Melissa Miller of WAVE when they made all of their decisions. So it seems to me like purely a greed and stupidity issue. Not that I’d put sexism past the commissioners, but Shewmake is a sexist too so it’s a thin-ice argument for the Democrats at this point. After all, shoving the next incompetent Shewmake equivalent onto any commission won’t result in infrastructure. She simply doesn’t care about infrastructure, even though it helps the most marginalized people in any community out, INCLUDING WOMEN. Here’s an idea, why don’t we just put the most competent, pragmatic, well educated people onto the commission. After all, Bernie has done a lot more for Women than Shewmake. Should he be automatically ashamed of that 9-inch dong he’s been carrying around his whole life after all of his tireless work for equity and equality? The answer is NO. If we shame an ally like Bernie, etc. then the movement has simply degraded into sexism and all discrimination is wrong. 
Did Bell and Briscoe ignore Stark because of her gender? Maybe, but they also seem to ignore everyone that has a good idea that conflicts with their political dogma. Like Shewmake, Ramel, Redding, etc. do.
Whatcom County: Commissioners gave us a virtually worthless proposal as I’ve written about before and have tried to kill the issue. A lack of education, and an unwillingness to educate themselves, is a key issue with our County Commissioners.
I remind everyone that we really don’t have different political parties in Bellingham/Whatcom County and we aren’t even close to equity and equality in broadband or any other area.
So, this has never been a one man effort. The duopoly, especially the toxic Corporate Democrats, try to discredit me and pretend that it is “all my idea” but the 5,000 petition signatures, their own studies, and more show that it is not.
For example, Dig Once is a great policy. It, or something exactly like it, is what every successful public fiber project has done. I first heard about it from Community Broadband Networks. However, the Democrats want to “kill the idea of Dig Once or Call It Something Else” because they think it’s my idea personally and they want to discredit me. How incompetent can you be not to have run across Dig Once if you were really looking into broadband? Also, how childish must they be to care so much about me that they’ll screw all of the rest of you over just to try to keep me down? Yet, here we are. Almost a decade later, still having this talk.

 

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Randy Petty

Sep 27, 2024

Down here on the ground, beneath all of the state/local squabbling, Astound said no, again.
They sure are advertising like crazy, but if they don’t already have equipment in your neighborhood, or even if they do but choose not to expand due to the density of homes, you’re out of luck.
So far I don’t want an increase bad enough to spend what Starlink asks.

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Jon Humphrey

Sep 27, 2024

As Commissioner Deshmane and I have pointed out many times the mid-mile connections are another area where governments can and should help out. WAVE/Astound has a virtual monopoly, but their rates are obscene. They quoted me, and a project off of Y road, $35K just to get hooked up and $900/month for gigabit before we could even start hooking people up. In my case it wasn’t even all fiber, but coax at some point. WAVE has convinced the fools in government that this is why we don’t need other services. Because they have “it covered” but obviously they’re lying about their coverage. The public should be given coverage maps, annually, by all ISPs before they are allowed to operate. We need leaders smart enough to ask for things like this.

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Randy Petty

Sep 28, 2024

The comment from astound customer service: 

“Fingers crossed that either Astound gets an infrastructure grant for your area soon or at least a different highspeed provider moves in if they haven’t already. If the company does expand, usually Astound will send out the Direct Sales Representatives to let the street/neighborhood know they will be serviceable.”

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Jon Humphrey

Sep 28, 2024

The better solution is to build public infrastructure to prevent private monopolies and territories like we have now. WAVE/Astound are terrible companies with lots of complaints just like all of the telecoms. The best networks in the nation and developed world are public. Again, see “Fiber” and “Captive Audience” by Susan Crawford. Fingers crossed that we don’t get another fake fiber provider like Quantum, Ziply or CenturyLink that perform as well as or worse than Comcast as they currently do on real load testing. The current telecom situation is what a monopoly looks like. The telecoms do NOT compete with each other. Like mafias they carve out territories to keep from competing with each other. The Mount Vernon Open Access model allows for both private and public choices for leasing. That’s how you get real competition. Not by allowing an expanding private monopolies and providing corporate welfare. 

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Randy Petty

Sep 28, 2024

Sounds good, will I live to see it?

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