Lake Oswego puts broadband to citywide vote


City council voted to put the fiber-optic network plans on the November ballot.

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Councilors said Tuesday there are too many unanswered questions about the project and the amount of financial risk it could pose for the city, and they want to hear from voters before proceeding.

Councilors indicated they wanted to see at least 55 percent of voters in favor of the project before they would move forward on a contract.

In January, the council had voted to negotiate with a newly formed Lake Oswego company called Symmetrical Networks, which promises hyperfast Internet connections for $60 a month. That’s pricier than some Internet services, but relatively inexpensive for the speeds Symmetrical promises – 1 gigabit per second, 40 times faster than the current broadband standard.

(READ MORE: Oregon Live)

Council member Jon Gustafson claimed Lake Oswego Mayor Kent Studebaker pulled the plug on the deal last week.