“We’re seeing cities deploy faster and cheaper broadband than major corporations,” Falcon said. “And once the infrastructure is laid, it’s profitable for them.”

Such a project isn’t impossible in Buffalo: Many miles of “dark” or unused fiber run under the city already. Connecting those lines to individual homes and businesses could cost millions of dollars, however, and a previous municipal fiber push fizzled over concerns about pushback from existing internet companies.

But local advocates say interest is growing again, particularly in the wake of a December Census report that found internet penetration rates as low as 36 percent in some parts of Buffalo. Providing low-cost, high-speed service has become a priority for both Buffalo Public Schools, which on Monday began accepting bids for a school-based free internet project, and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, which began meeting with business and city leaders last month to discuss a city-owned internet solution.

Such talks remain in their early stages, said Sam Marrazzo, the chief innovation officer at BNMC. But there’s a growing consensus that Buffalo’s internet does not meet the community’s needs.