Public commenters urge LAFCo to agendize public broadband as Google and private firms expand fiber plans

Public comment at the LAFCo meeting focused on community broadband and the city's Dig Once policy, with speakers urging the commission to agendize broadband planning in light of private providers’ recent fiber initiatives.

One commenter said Google is announcing plans to install fiber to some condominiums, apartments and low‑income housing facilities and said Department of Technology staff told them that Dig Once is currently implemented as an opt‑in rather than a mandate. The speaker urged LAFCo to investigate how the Dig Once ordinance is being applied and to bring the topic back to the commission for further review.

Eric Brooks, speaking for multiple local clean‑energy and civic groups, said the city should consider including additional community choice aggregators and release concrete feed‑in tariff and net‑metering numbers to help market local alternatives to incumbent providers. Brooks and other commenters urged LAFCo to revisit prior studies (including the Amiano study) and explore financing and city‑owned options for a public broadband build‑out, citing examples of other cities that pursued public broadband.

Speakers framed the issue as economic and civic: they argued a public, open network could lower costs for residents and businesses and urged the commission to begin formal consideration so that private firms do not develop public infrastructure in a way that limits public control or access.

LAFCo did not take action on broadband during the meeting; the public comment period closed after speakers urged the commission to place the topic on a future agenda.