WeHo drops plan to expand citywide broadband internet as costs skyrocket

The West Hollywood City Council dropped an agreement last month to expand citywide broadband after costs to build the network ballooned to tens of millions of dollars. The expansion would’ve brought fast and reliable internet to more residents in lower-income areas.

The city doesn’t have a precise count of how many residents lack reliable internet but estimates around 72% of residents lack access to fiber-based internet services, according to Eugene Tsipis, the city’s IT manager.

What was the plan? 

In 2016, the city adopted a Fiber Network Infrastructure and Service Strategic Plan to prioritize “municipally driven” broadband. Then in 2023, the city entered into a negotiation agreement with the public infrastructure company, Plenary, to further build out the city’s fiber network.

The city was not expecting to contribute any money to the project. Then in 2023, the city was supposed to contribute an estimated $25 million to $28 million toward the project.

That nearly doubled last month. City staff said the city’s contribution would be as much as $42 million, citing construction costs and labor requirements. The latest amount prompted the city council to drop the agreement during a regular meeting Oct. 20.

“This was an effort to ensure that the city itself, as cities across this country are doing, could make internet a utility provided through the city services,” Mayor Chelsea Lee Byers said. “I think that is a vision that we should still hold on to and work towards, as I know you'll continue to, and I appreciate the lessons you've learned through this process.”

What is the state of digital equity in WeHo? 

While most residents technically have access to some form of broadband, this access does not necessarily equate to quality, reliability or affordability, Tsipis told LAist.

“Fiber-based internet is generally concentrated in commercial corridors, and private providers have been slow to expand into residential blocks or multifamily buildings, particularly in lower-income areas,” Tsipis added.

The city’s current fiber-optic broadband spans the entire length of Santa Monica Boulevard, providing Wi-Fi to the public. That network also is being extended and already is operational along Melrose Avenue between Croft Avenue and San Vicente Boulevard.

Plans are underway to expand fiber connectivity to some iconic streets, such as Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue.