In Silicon Valley, Zippy Web Lines Spark a Surprise: Slow Demand.

Reports on the tepid response that the city of Palo Alto, California has gotten from residents over their offer of high-speed, fiber-optic connections to the Internet. How the response reflects the connection's high costs, marketing missteps and increased competition from cheaper technologies; Why the city built a 31-mile ring of fiber-optic lines; Number of residents who have signed on to the connection.