Rancho Cordova — SiFi, a private company building a citywide fiber network in Rancho Cordova, told the City Council on Tuesday it has reassigned construction work, will repair substandard installations left by an earlier contractor and expects to begin turning on service sometime in 2026.

The company’s president, Scott Bradshaw, and city public works staff described the build as a $60 million‑plus private investment that will be owned and operated by the company and provide open access for multiple internet service providers. “This is a private investment for a privately owned and operated facility. There is no cost to the city,” Albert Stricker of the city’s public works department said.

Why it matters: The project aims to bring fiber to every home, business and institution in Rancho Cordova and to lower prices through competition and a company program for lower‑cost service for qualifying residents. Council members and residents pressed the company on workmanship, timelines and where the network will be brought into homes.

SiFi said it has built roughly half the city but discovered areas where the prior contractor’s work did not meet expectations. Bradshaw told the council the company has stopped further broad rollout to focus on repairs and has hired Aspire Communications to overlay and correct problem locations, such as mismatched cold patching around vaults and improperly finished trench work. “We recognized that not all of that was done correct,” Bradshaw said. “We’re not going to build anymore until we fix what someone else did.”

Bradshaw and Stricker said the project is fully privately financed and described an “open access” model that lets any Internet service provider use the fiber. Bradshaw also said SiFi intends to invest in community outreach — door hangers, flyers and local events — and to operate a program to reduce monthly broadband costs for qualifying families.

A key implementation delay, Bradshaw said, is a data center the company had planned to use for electronics, which is closing. The company is relocating those systems, which staff said has pushed back the date SiFi can switch the network on for customers. Bradshaw told council members the company is targeting “during 2026,” ideally in spring, to begin turning up service but said the exact timing depends on completing repairs and relocating electronics.

Council members and audience speakers described neighborhood experiences with the build and asked technical questions. One attendee and council members complained about visible and inconsistent patching where trenches were filled, and urged speedy, visible repairs to restore trust. Bradshaw said Aspire’s work is “clean” and that SiFi wants community feedback while repairs proceed.

City staff said SiFi will work closely with Public Works and return to the council in about three months with a status update listing completed repairs, outstanding items and next deliverables. No formal council action or funding was proposed; the council discussion was advisory and focused on oversight and partnership for future grant applications and design coordination.

The council did not vote on any ordinance or contract during the presentation. SiFi representatives said they remain responsible for construction and operation and that no taxpayer dollars are being used for the build.

What’s next: SiFi will continue repairs, finalize a replacement data center plan and return to the council with a progress report and timeline. The company said it will begin activating service for neighborhoods after the repairs and electronics relocation are complete and after sufficient premises are ready to support service activation.