Full speed ahead for high speed internet in Santa Cruz

Everyone uses the internet, whether it’s to download a song or run a multi-million dollar business. The truth is no matter what the task is, a slow connection is the worst. In Santa Cruz something is being done about it.

“You’ll see major announcements in the bay area but Santa Cruz is always left out. And like many communities across the nation we’re taking our needs into our own hands,” said Santa Cruz Economic Development Manager J. Guevara.

In a unanimous decision the Santa Cruz City council voted to install a broadband system throughout the City.

“It feels good to be passed, we had this conversation several decades actually,” said Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce CEO Bill Tysseling.

The new broadband system will provide both residents and business owners with internet speeds up to 100 times faster than what’s on tap now.

“This makes us far more attractive because every home can become an incubator and accelerator for home based business. As well as people already working from home to do amazing things with lightning fast speeds,” said Guevara.

The city has partnered with long time local internet company Cruzio to make it all happen.

“We’re planning to do it in about three years’ time. Which is a very ambitious and fast project. But we know people need internet and we want to get it to them as fast as possible. So this project is fast in every way,” said Cruzio Co-CEO Peggy Dolgenos.

Taxes aren’t funding the 45-million dollar project. The city, with the help of some bonds – along with Cruzio will front the money. That investment will be returned once people begin signing up for the service.

“The citizens of the city will own the infrastructure, and they will be able to decide in the future to go either faster if they want or add other services if they want to,” said Dolgenos.

Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce said faster internet speeds will not only help bring businesses in but also retain the companies they already have here.

“It clearly is a competitive advantage right now. I think it gives us the opportunity to retain businesses that would otherwise leave. It gives us the ability to attract a creative class workforce,” said Tysseling.