There appears to be almost no downside to the cities that have signed up. The only unanswered question is how well the fiber and sewers will get along with each other. Whenever a technology comes along that is so new and different, you have to be careful, particularly when sensitive fiber-optic cable is at stake. There's still the question whether this can stand the test of time. Beyond the handful of risks, there is a large upside for cities.
Cities also get their sewers inspected, mapped and cleaned, free of charge, twice a year.
For CityNet's part, it claims the fiber can withstand a cleaning process known as jetting when a lead ball spraying a high-pressure jet of water makes it way through the pipe. It's really durable. CityNet's promotional video illustrates installation from start to finish as well as jetting. While Mr. Wilson cannot recall an instance when Omaha lost a company for the lack of a fiber-optic network, he's sure it has happened. I can't think of a specific company, but bandwidth is always an issue.