Holland Mayor Nathan Bocks

Incoming President Elizabeth Scott will be hosting a pot-luck and Rotary visioning time at her house on Tuesday 14 June. Sign up by June 10th.

Pete filled us in on the status of broadband services in the City of Holland. BPW has had fiber optic cables linking its facilities for 30 years. High-speed internet has also been offered to downtown businesses through BPW fiber. Before the pandemic, BPW had convened groups to look into the feasibility of providing access for residents. The groups were split on whether it was an appropriate city service.

 

After the pandemic, 70% of the group viewed internet access as important as water, sewer, and electricity. The city is moving forward with a model of open access. The city will install fiber cable throughout and pay for it through a millage. Individual property owners will cover the cost of linking to the fiber. There are currently 6 ISPs offering various services through the city connection. The millage will be up for a vote this fall.

 There have been 3 generations of web services. The first generation (1994-2000) presented static information, the second (2000-now) allows data transfer, and the third generation will give the creation of content to everyone with access. Another way of expressing the generations is: consume → create → own. The tools for this third-generation are just now being developed.