Internet access has been deemed a human right by the United Nations. While the people of Jacksonville have access to the internet, their options are limited to 2 or 3 "big name" providers who charge a ton of money for very little in terms of speed, reliability, and customer service. To make matters worse, providing an alternative to these big name companies is nearly impossible for a private company or organization: the barrier to entry in terms of investment is too large for the possible profits. This means that the correct approach is to create an alternative, community-owned provider that is focused on utility instead of profits. The people of Jacksonville deserve quality internet for cheap.

This petition is to propose that JEA follow in the footsteps of Chattanooga's public power company by running fiber lines to (almost every) building and offering high speed internet as a public utility.

The Gig offers incredible gigabit internet speeds (10-50x faster than Comcast) for cheap, and has created thousands of jobs and transformed Chattanooga from one of the most dangerous cities in America to a safe, booming tech startup mecca. Jacksonville would similarly benefit from cheap, fast, publicly owned internet access. The city would benefit from the revenue, jobs, and economic stimulus created by businesses and investors attracted to our fair and affordable internet.

The internet becomes more important each day, and Jacksonville should be a pioneer on the forefront of it, providing fair and equitable internet access to all who want it, by all who own it.

The Gig:

http://www.thegigcity.com

http://chattanoogagig.com

News Coverage:

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/5/29/chattanooga-net-neutrality.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/04/technology/fast-internet-service-speeds-business-development-in-chattanooga.html?_r=0