Update: Our news partner The Seattle Times has a broader story here.
A portion of Northgate/Maple leaf is one of 14 Seattle neighborhoods said to get broadband Internet service.
The provider of potential super-speedy Internet access, which we wrote about in April, today announced how much it will cost and added it won’t start until next year – and even then, not here.
From Gigabit Squared:
The Gigabit Squared fiber network will initially be made available to neighborhoods located within the University of Washington West Campus District, First Hill, Capitol Hill and Central Area of Seattle as part of a program called Gigabit Seattle.
The cost? Somewhere between $10 and $80 monthly, depending on plan, with a one-year service contract. More details below.
Background from our earlier post:
After the plan to provide broadband access citywide died last year, Seattle in December announced a partnership with broadband developer Gigabit and the University of Washington to use existing but unused fiber-optic cable to bring blazing Internet speed to several neighborhoods that actually had the cable.
In February the initial dozen neighborhoods participating in the demonstration project were increased to 14. On its website, Gigabit Seattle says that will bring service to 100,000 citizens and businesses. There is the possibility of some wireless access as well.
In April, Gigabit indicated where it begins service might be influenced by how many people signed up for email alerts in a given neighborhood. It look like they’ve made that decision.
If you’re interested in registering for the service, click here.
More details on cost: Gigabit Squared’s simplified fiber network pricing plans for Seattle will be structured as follows:
Installation Charge: Installation charges will be waived for customers signing a one-year contract for 100 Mbps service or greater. Otherwise, a $350 installation fee is required.
Service Plan Options:
Plan A:
5 Mbps download/1 Mbps upload: No charge for 60 months
5/1 Mbps services are transferrable to new renters or owners
After 60 months renters or owners can convert to a 10 Mbps download/10 Mbps upload service plan for only $10 per month
Plan B:
100 Mbps download/100 Mbps upload for $45 per month
No installation charge with one- year contract
Plan C:
1000 download/1000 upload Mbps for $80 per month
No installation charge with one-year contract
Please everybody in Maple Leaf sign up as showing interest. If you are anything like me, it would be very nice to move off of Comcast or at least give them some real competition.
Not sure where to post this but does anyone know where Delta 9 is moving to? I find it really sad that they forced LC Kitchen to move out and close down, and now they are moving who knows where.
Having switched servers a few times I found its less about speed and more about connection issues. Priorities people.
Be sure to sign up. The more interest a neighborhood shows, the sooner they will build into the neighborhood – or so they say. From the response I got from registering:
Thank you for your interest in Gigabit Seattle. We will be in touch with you when service is coming to your area. We encourage you to have your friends and neighbors signup as well as area demand will help guide our network development priorities.
So if you want high speed access cheaper than what your paying now, sooner than later, go represent maple leaf!
$80 plan would be nice to share for our street
Is there ANY WAY we can persuade them to come further south? Living on 90th, between Roosevelt & 12th, this map of proposed service area just makes me want to cry…(and yes, we did sign up as interested).
HELL YES! A gigabit for $80!
Only thing I’m not seeing in their release is a timeline. I recall them saying they’d announce pricing in the summer and start installation in the fall. Hopefully the timeline is still on track.