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City Council Meeting Minutes August 17, 2021 <br />Commission (FCC) defined broadband speed as a minimum of 25 Mbps <br />download and 3 Mbps upload. <br />Mr. Stewart provided information related to current service availability. In <br />2000, the City signed a franchise agreement with Grande Communication for <br />12 strands of dark fiber to connect city facilities. In 2018 the City contracted <br />for a Master Fiber Plan to connect City facilities, critical infrastructure, and <br />field assets. This project is funded by General, Water, and Electric capital <br />improvement project funds. Fiber installation began in 2020. <br />Mr. Stewart stated all city facilities provide public wireless access. In 2014 <br />public wireless was installed to provide internet service in Rio Vista park, San <br />Marcos Plaza, Veramendi Park, and City Park. Two city owned cellular towers <br />have been installed to service City owned field assets — City Cemetery and new <br />Public Service Complex. American Recue Funds have been approved by <br />Council to expand public wireless access at the Library and in city parks. <br />Mr. Stewart stated there are currently 8 internet providers servicing San <br />Marcos. He noted that San Marcos is the 39th most connected city in Texas, <br />with less than 6.3% of consumers in San Marcos only have access to 1 or fewer <br />wired providers. The average download speed in San Marcos is 127Mbps. <br />The types of available services include: <br />• Digital Subscriber Line (DSL): Slow, reliable, and often the most affordable. <br />• Cable: A balance of speed and value. <br />• Fiber: Limited availability, fast speeds, and higher pricing. <br />• Wireless — LTE, Point to Point, or Satellite <br />Mr. Stewart provided the availability, service, speed and cost of the current <br />providers in San Marcos. He discussed the variable internet speeds and how <br />many users are supported. He displayed an aerial map that indicates the <br />number of providers in each particular area. <br />Mr. Stewart review other programs and initiatives that are occurring within the <br />region. These are outlined below: <br />School District Initiatives <br />• San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District <br />— AT&T free Wi-Fi hotspots to all students <br />— Grande Comm. Internet First Program free to all qualifying students - <br />$10/mo. for qualifying family's <br />— School subsidized cost <br />City of San Marcos page 2 <br />