The next step to connect Waterloo residents to the city’s new fiber optic network is underway after a bid was awarded. The City Council held a special session on Thursday to award a bid of $77.86 million to ITG Communications, LLC, of Tullahoma, Tennessee, for the fiber-to-the-premise and backbone network project. Councilmembers Dave Boesen, Ray Feuss, Jonathan Grieder and Rob Nichols were present and all voted for the bid.
ITG’s bid for the fiber-to-the-premise portion was $21.24 million. The bid for the backbone portion was $16.45 million. The alternate, $40.17 million, was one of four provided. The alternate options are different ways the company could construct the layout.
There were three other proposals submitted for the project from Quanta Telecom Solutions of Loganville, Ga.; MP of Maple Lake, Minn.; and Michels Power of Neenah, Wis. Bids with their alternates ranged from $66.6 million to $106.9 million. The lowest bids were also submitted by ITG.
Funding for the projects comes from various sources. In a September referendum, more than 84% of residents voted for a $20 million general obligation bond for municipal broadband.
There is also money from the federal American Rescue Plan and a federal grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration. The city has also applied for other grants that it is waiting to hear back on.
City departments, such as Waterloo Water Works and other utilities, will also be used to fund portions of the project.
The build-out will begin as soon as possible. The first customers are projected to be connected by the end of 2023. The entire project is expected to take three years.
The fiber optic network consists of two total projects. The first is the fiber backbone, which supports the city’s operations like utilities, traffic, public safety and smart city initiatives. The second project is the build-out and delivery of the fiber-to-the-premise services, which connects internet access to every home and business in the city.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Maria Kuiper
Quelle/Source: The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, 01.07.2023
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