Office of the City Manager 5200 Emerald Parkway • Dublin, OH 43017-1090 Phone: 614.410.4400 • Fax: 614.410.4490 Memo To: Members of Dublin City Council From: Kirby Dearth, City Management Intern Date: April 10, 2019 Initiated By: Dana McDaniel, City Manager Re: Dublin Ohio Residential Broadband Speeds Comparison Background In an effort to inventory the current degree of connectivity, the Office of the City Manager explored average speeds within the City of Dublin and other communities around the world. We have found that the best data available outside of a contracted study of our community is derived from reported results of residential speed tests. Organizations such as Broadbandnow and Measurement Labs compile data from multiple speed test websites to provide specific location averages over time. Their reports are contingent on the number of unique end-users testing their speeds in a given location. Therefore, the data serves as a general indication of speeds experienced in a locality, not a variable-free conclusive statement of service. Comparing this data serves to highlight where Dublin internet stands and to showcase the existing gaps in service quality, not the specific speed differentials between communities. The City of Dublin is currently served by 8 residential internet service providers (ISPs), with 99% of residents having access to multiple service providers. The largest provider serving Dublin residents is Spectrum, advertising 120 Mbps broadband service available to 100% of the community over copper lines. AT&T is the second largest provider, advertising 100 Mbps packages over their DSL network that covers 92.1% of Dublin. Additionally, AT&T operates fiber infrastructure that covers 7.6% of the community, advertising speeds up to 1,000 Mbps without a monthly data cap. According to Broadbandnow and the FCC, this small percentage of the city is the only portion that has access to residential fiber (Figure 1). Although 100-megabit service is available to most residents, the average speeds of Dublin residential connections do not reflect such service levels. ISPs advertise “up to” speeds, indicating that the advertised speed is not entirely guaranteed. Speeds fluctuate due to data traffic congestion during peak hours. ISPs often throttle speeds to maintain network stability, systematically reducing the available bandwidth to a residence. According to 17,445 speed tests compiled by the Measurement Lab, the City of Dublin’s residents on average experienced a download speed of 14.4 mbps in 2018 (Figure 2). Although the City of Dublin experienced a faster average download speed than the State of Ohio, the City performed below the national average and continues to do so into the early months of 2019 (Figure 2). In comparison, Fairlawn Ohio’s average 2018 download speed totaled 38.8 Mbps due to the increasing availability of residential fiber via the City’s municipal fiber project (Figure 3). Additionally, Irvine, California’s 2018 download speed averaged 27.6 mbps (Figure 3). As a recipient of google fiber, a majority of residents have access to one gigabit (1,000 mbps) internet services. The above average performance of these cities can be partially attributed to the increased availability of broadband services over fiber infrastructure. Memo re. Dublin Ohio Residential Broadband Speed Comparison April 10, 2019 Page 2 of 7 While Dublin’s average residential speeds struggle to compete with some of the faster American cities, the gap in competition widens when considering the countries with the fastest download speeds in the world. With a population of 527,000, Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in Europe; however, this has not stopped them from building a fiber to the home national network. In 2017, the fiber network passed more than 60% of those residing in the country, with 25% subscribing to the service. This has led to Luxembourg being ranked the fastest country in the world by a 2016 international study of weighted broadband speeds conducted by the FCC. In 2018, the national average download speed of Luxembourg was 38.4 mbps, almost three times as fast as the City of Dublin’s (Figures 4 & 5). The government of Denmark also owns and operates a national service provider, prompting a ranking of 8th on the FCC’s list of fastest countries and a 2018 national average download speed of 39.7 mbps (Figures 4 & 5). Despite the fact that average download speeds highlight actual speeds experienced, they do not account for customers choosing slow service packages even though faster speeds are available. By considering the 90th percentile of speeds, one can more accurately compare the speeds available to a community. The 90th percentile of Dublin speeds for the month of March 2019 reached 46.62 mbps. In comparison, the top 9 fastest cities in the United States experienced 90th percentile speeds over 600 mbps (Figure 6). Nine Mile Falls Washington was the fastest city in the country, with a 922 mbps 90th percentile download speed (Figure 6). Only 2 Ohio cities made the top 100 list last month. Independence was ranked number four, with a download speed of 685.60 mbps, while Carrollton placed 82nd with 342.62 mbps. The U.S. national average download speed presented by Measurement Lab (16.1 mbps) accounts for both wired and wireless connectivity. This is not entirely comparable to the City of Dublin, as 99% of residents are served by a wired service provider. This consideration makes it necessary to compare city statistics to other fixed broadband statistics. By categorizing speed tests based on infrastructure, speed reports published by Speedtest.net separate the speeds of wireless based and fixed broadband based service performance. Their Q2 and Q3 2018 report places the U.S. national average for fixed broadband download speeds at 96.25 mbps (Figure 7). This data was derived from over 24 million unique users and a total of 115 million tests. In comparison, the 90th percentile of Dublin residential speeds for the month of March (46.62 mbps) is less than half the national fixed broadband average, indicating that even some of the fastest speeds experienced in the City are well below the national average. Recommendation For Informational Purposes Only Memo re. Dublin Ohio Residential Broadband Speed Comparison April 10, 2019 Page 3 of 7 Figures Figure 1 (Courtesy of the FCC) Number of Residential Fiber Broadband Providers Memo re. Dublin Ohio Residential Broadband Speed Comparison April 10, 2019 Page 4 of 7 Figure 2 (Courtesy of Measurement Labs) Figure 3 (Courtesy of Measurement Labs) Memo re. Dublin Ohio Residential Broadband Speed Comparison April 10, 2019 Page 5 of 7 Figure 4 (Courtesy of Measurement Labs) Figure 5 (Courtesy of the FCC 2016) Memo re. Dublin Ohio Residential Broadband Speed Comparison April 10, 2019 Page 6 of 7 Figure 6 (Courtesy of Broadband Now) Memo re. Dublin Ohio Residential Broadband Speed Comparison April 10, 2019 Page 7 of 7 Figure 7 (Courtesy of Speedtest.net) 4/8/2019 10 Remote Work Trends That Will Dominate 2019 21,649 views | Dec 21, 2018, 07:45am 10 Remote Work Trends That Will Dominate 2019 Abdullahi Muhammed Contributor Careers I cover smart freelancing, the gig economy and remote work. 2019 Remote Work Trends. PEXELS.COM Remote work is no longer a privilege. It’s become the standard operating mode for at least 50% of the U.S. population. Virtual retreats are no longer attributed solely to progressive startups. Traditional employers are finally on-board and ready to propose a flexible work arrangement higher up the pipeline. https://www.forbes.com/sites/abdullahimuhammed/2018/12/21/10-remote-work-trends-that-will-dominate-2019/#680f8a4a7c72 1/5 4/8/2019 10 Remote Work Trends That Will Dominate 2019 2019 will further reinforce the current global shift towards “remote-friendly” workplaces and dictate a few more unique trends. 1. Employer expectations of digital skills are shifting from basic to advance The demand for technology-savvy professionals now extends well beyond the software development space. According to fresh data from LinkedIn, general tech skills – web design, social media management and so on – are among the fastest growing in-demand skills. Whereas basic digital literacy – fluency with email software tools and word processing software – witnessed the fastest decline compared to other skill groups. Companies now expect employees to be more comfortable with all sorts of digital tools, even for entry-level positions and more so for remote employees. So if you are just considering the transition, make sure that your technical skill set is up-to-date and you know how to run a virtual office. 2. “In-the-office” days may become more popular No, it’s not because more employers want to micromanage their remote teams. Quite on the contrary, employers are finally starting to address the mental health factor more seriously. The biggest reported struggle of remote work is lack of community - 21% of remote workers named “loneliness” as one of their main on- the-job issues. To address this, companies are now encouraging remote members to come back to the office at least once per week. And this strategy gives results – Gallup poll estimated that the “visiting” employees tend to be more engaged and fulfilled when compared to their 100% remote or full-office counterparts. Such members are more likely to have friendships at work and state that their job includes opportunities to learn and grow. https://www.forbes.com/sites/abdullahimuhammed/2018/12/21/10-remote-work-trends-that-will-dominate-2019/#680f8a4a7c72 2/5 4/8/2019 10 Remote Work Trends That Will Dominate 2019 YOU MAY ALSO LIKE 3. Workplace cybersecurity will move upstream This year, a lot of large companies have fallen prey to cybersecurity attacks and Internet giants (think Facebook) reported massive data breaches.