ULTRA UNRELIABLE: How a bad deal with Verizon has cost San Diegans, thr
From Bill Horne@21:1/5 to All on Thu Dec 1 20:07:15 2022
In pre-pandemic April 2019, Mayor Kevin Faulconer signed a Public
Private Partnership with Verizon, giving the Company discounted rent for
use of public assets and shortened permitting timeframes to deploy infrastructure for the Company’s 5G wireless network. The deal was
initiated and negotiated by a Verizon lobbyist, entirely bypassing City
Council and public input.
Faulconer touted the Verizon deal saying it would “increase services and expand our smart cities capabilities, at no additional costs to
taxpayers.”1 However, three years into the 10-year deal term, San
Diegans are subsidizing the buildout of Verizon’s 5G network, and
promised community benefits have failed to materialize, potentially
costing taxpayers over a million dollars.