The Town of Newburgh voted to approve a five-year service agreement with Astound to install dedicated fiber and upgrade Internet and Wi‑Fi at town facilities, parks and wastewater sites.
Town Manager Chris Cook described the agreement as an upgrade to “dedicated fiber at several locations” and said the deal includes discounted government pricing; “the difference is only a $128.08 versus what we pay now,” he said. Cook noted the package also includes phone-system upgrades and expanded Wi‑Fi in parks and at the amphitheater.
Astound representative Steve Felicia explained technical details of the planned build: “we are building the fiber, you know, the ring into this building, to town hall,” and said the design adds a dual ring for redundancy so a single cut would not knock out all service. Felicia said the ring will also be extended to the wastewater treatment plant and to critical sewer department facilities.
Council members asked whether the price is guaranteed for five years; Cook confirmed the price was locked for the five-year term. Council members also asked about coverage for town cottages, park Wi‑Fi and specific venues; Cook and Felicia said the agreement covers every building in the town’s footprint, will upgrade Lou Dennis Park Wi‑Fi, provide outdoor access at the amphitheater with the option to dedicate bandwidth for performers, and will include the cottages.
Why it matters: Officials said the fiber will add capacity and redundancy for town operations and first responders and will support events at the amphitheater that require performer Internet access. Felicia noted the new Wi‑Fi equipment replaces hardware installed in 2019 and supports more simultaneous users.
Formal action: A motion to approve the Astound contract was made, seconded, and approved by voice vote; no roll-call tally was recorded.
Next steps: Staff will execute the five-year agreement and coordinate installation and upgrades with Astound.