For a city that styles itself as the capital of technological innovation, San Francisco's internet infrastructure has long been a punchline. Entire neighborhoods remain stuck on aging copper lines and spotty connections while we lecture the rest of the country about the future of AI and autonomous vehicles. The irony isn't lost on residents.

As one local put it: "Google came through about a decade ago, spray painted the sidewalk and then gave up. AT&T tried to sell me fiber a little while after, but it was fiber to the distribution point a block away and then copper to my house. I laughed when the installer came and refused the install. BS marketing ploy."

That pretty much captures the mood across San Francisco when it comes to broadband promises. We've been burned before. Spray-painted sidewalks and broken commitments are practically a genre at this point.

But fiber coming to the Panhandle is still genuinely good news — if it materializes. Real fiber-to-the-home is a game-changer for remote workers, small businesses, and anyone tired of paying premium prices for mediocre speeds. Competition in the broadband market also tends to drive down prices across the board, which is something this absurdly expensive city could use more of.

The bigger question is why this is happening neighborhood by neighborhood instead of as part of a coherent citywide infrastructure plan. San Francisco has spent billions on projects that deliver questionable returns — a functioning fiber network for the entire city would be a far better investment than, say, another round of consultant studies on homelessness.

For now, Panhandle residents should cautiously celebrate. And the rest of the city? Keep waiting, keep hoping, and maybe don't let anyone spray paint your sidewalk until they're ready to actually finish the job.