Part 3 - Reasons Google would choose Petaluma -
Petaluma is comfortable on the leading edge - read Wikipedia's entry for Telecom Valley
At one time or another, Petaluma has been home to Cisco, DSC, Alcatel, Optilink, Diamond Lane, Nokia, Mahi, Gluon, Advanced Fibre Communications (AFC), Cerent, Calix, Turin Networks, Cyan Optics and a host of other smaller firms.
We asked Mike Hatfield, currently CEO of Cyan Optics and one of the original founders of "Telecom Valley," to say something that might offer advantages to Goolge to deploy in Petaluma. He had this to offer -
"A relatively small and contained community of approximately 56,700 residents, Petaluma is located just 35 miles north of San Francisco, between the rolling hills of Sonoma Valley and the Pacific ocean. With a rich history as one of California’s oldest cities Petaluma is known as an epicenter of innovation. Spawning the first practical incubator in the mid 1800’s lead to Petaluma’s role as the Egg Basket of World. The city’s more recent history of innovation includes the origination of highly successful networking and communication companies such as Advanced Fibre Communications (AFC), Cerent, Calix, Turin Networks, Cyan and others building the very types of technologies and equipment which are enabling broadband access and transport across the global community. Petaluma’s diversity which starts with this history of innovation and a strong agricultural influence establish this community as an ideal market for Google’s Fiber for Communities project because it represents a diverse set of key learning opportunities for Google and the fiber network infrastructure providers.
The estimated per capita income in 2008 of $35,064 is highly consistent with the national average for the US. Consistent with the rest of the US, Petaluma enjoys a highly diverse mix of residents with specific neighborhoods offering high concentrations of families with college education and higher average incomes, and other neighborhoods with much lower levels of education and lower incomes. With local business spanning from telecom and medical related industries to agriculture and private local retail businesses there is a tremendous opportunity to assess the impact of unconstrained broadband connectivity across a range of individuals and businesses. Furthermore, Petaluma represents a highly diverse housing footprint and density allowing many learning opportunities related to the installation of fiber to the homes and business. Petaluma has several communities with heritage homes dating back well over a hundred years and others currently under construction. In some neighborhoods zoning practices provide multi-dwelling unit neighborhoods ranging from dual and quad configurations to hundreds of living units. A highly diverse range of single family living units offer neighborhoods with lot sizes under 1/20th of an acre to lot sizes exceeding 1 acre. Within 1-2 miles of the center of Petaluma we have rural residential and agricultural zoned neighborhoods consisting of multiple acres. Finally, Petaluma represents a relatively diverse climate environment to assess the possible correlation of broadband usage with weather patterns. Petaluma enjoys warm summers which encourage an active outdoor life style, followed by more rainy and cool winters which tend to drive folks indoors for a few months of the year. This collective breadth of physical infrastructure diversity, climate, business, and resident diversity offers critical insights and learning opportunities for Google and the infrastructure provider as well as the residents and businesses of Petaluma."
Watch the video below, "River of Change;" How Petaluma transformed from agricultural- to a technology-center.
Video - Petaluma - River of Change - interview with Chet Stephens, former CEO of Diamond Lane (merged with Nokia)
River of Change, Part 2
As the home to Telecom Valley, Petaluma has contributed to the development of the internet. Read this Press Democrat article from October 2007.
Petaluma pioneered the "Cyber City Roundtable" concept for cities in Northern California. Read Bill Hammerman's entry.
Petaluma customers were among the first in the Bay Area to have deployed cable modem broadband in the 1990's.
Petaluma was the first to employ "smart code" for development; we had an award-winning General Plan. Read about Petaluma in Wikipedia.
We have a "Technology and Telecommunications Committee," appointed by the City Council to advise on technology and telecommunications issues that impact the public.
We have specific technology portions in our General Plan 2025. See Chapter 7
We were among the first to adopt Climate Action and Build It Green programs
We have an airport, marina and our river is a commercial waterway - a unique combination among smaller cities.
Petaluma has a large proportion of art galleries and restaurants. And we're at the "Gateway to Sonoma Wine Country." Petaluma is known for arts and creativity, volunteerism and humanity.
We have Infineon Raceway nearby.
One local high school, Casa Grande High School, regularly wins or places high in the statewide and nationwide Academic Decathlon.
Many of our elementary schools are California Distinguished Schools.
We have a large campus of the Santa Rosa Junior College. SRJC has a Cisco Academy, produces a lot of computer/internet qualified technical skills. Sonoma State University is nearby (Cotati). SSU has a masters program geared to the technology industry.
For businesses considering relocation to Petaluma, we have a special section on our web site, loaded with information, even A-Z, to make getting set up here quick and efficient.
Information Technology Manager,
Tim Williamsen
fax: 707.776.3623
Email form
11 English St.
Petaluma, CA 94952
Hours 8 am to 5 pm
Monday through Thursday. Closed Fridays.
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Information Technology Division, City of Petaluma
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