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REQUEST FOR ACTION <br />TO <br />ITEM NUMBER <br />Mayor and City Council <br />10.4 <br />AGENDA SECTION <br />MEETING DATE <br />PREPARED BY <br />Work Session <br />August 6, 2012 <br />Bob Pearson, IT Manager <br />ITEM DESCRIPTION <br />REVIEWED By <br />Discuss Opportunity for Fiber Optic Network Partnership <br />Cal Portner, City Administrator <br />REVIEWED BY <br />ACTION REQUESTED <br />Council discussion and direction regarding a potential fiber optic network partnership with Sherburne <br />County and Elk River Municipal Utilities (ERMU). <br />BACKGROUND /DISCUSSION <br />The IT Division set a 2013 goal to create a plan for a city fiber optic network. The plan would be a <br />blueprint to connect city facilities with fiber. <br />IT scheduled a meeting with ERMU, city departments, and a consulting group, Elert and Associates, <br />specializing in fiber projects. At the meeting, ERMU Line Superintendent Mark Fuchs shared with the <br />group that he was working with a company that was installing a fiber loop in the city that would closely <br />approximate what the city would eventually build. <br />In a meeting with the contractor building the fiber network, Michel's, we were informed that they are <br />installing a 288 strand overhead and underground fiber network. Eric Graning of Michel's indicated we <br />would have a significant cost savings if we were to pull fiber cable at the same time. <br />We were given a quote of $241,000 for a loop in the city with an additional charge of $2,000 to connect <br />each of the identified locations. Staff has met with ERMU and county IT staff to discuss a 3 -way <br />partnership to share the network and the $241,000 cost. The network would only be government use for <br />interconnectivity between city, county and utilities facilities. Currently, each entity uses DSL or T1 <br />networks which do not have the bandwidth or reliability of a looped fiber network. <br />The main benefits of fiber are its ability to provide high bandwidth over long distances. It would give us <br />the ability to provide the same speed at off campus locations that we have on campus. <br />Immediate benefits: <br />• Elimination of approximately $600 in monthly operating expenses <br />• Ability to install local software at off campus locations <br />• Eliminate poor phone voice quality problems at off campus locations <br />• Ability to provide faster Internet speeds at remote locations <br />• Ability of off campus locations to take web training <br />POWERED By <br />N: `,Public Bodies City ( omlial Counal RCA Agenda Packet o8-o6-2o12 ,Fiber Staft Repo ctdoch INAMIRE1 <br />