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Council approves MediaLink contract for fiber expansion to serve Fifth & Elm and city annex
Summary
Portland approved a $73,890 contract with MediaLink Telecom LLC to connect the Fifth & Elm project and the city services annex to existing dark-fiber infrastructure; the purchase is a sole-source leveraging of prior school-district infrastructure and includes a 36-month service period for line-locate services.
The Portland City Council approved a contract on Feb. 18 with MediaLink Telecom LLC for fiber-optic expansion and connectivity in a lump-sum amount of $73,890.
City IT staff said the work will provide data, phone, building access, surveillance and Wi-Fi services for the Fifth & Elm project and the city services annex at 601 Moore by leveraging dark fiber purchased from a 2018 joint project with the school district. “Dark fiber is basically is they provide the media and we provide the equipment to put the light on it,” said the presenting staff member, explaining why the city is purchasing connectivity and equipment rather than building a new dedicated route.
The city described the procurement as a sole-source purchase because MediaLink’s existing infrastructure, built in partnership with the school district, is being subleased or sold in part to the city. The $73,890 contract is a lump-sum purchase for the installation and includes a 36-month term during which MediaLink will provide line-locate services; city staff said after the 36 months the city may seek bids for those services if desired.
Mayor Pro Tem Green moved approval; Councilman Albrecht seconded. The motion passed 4-0.
City staff said leveraging the existing MediaLink infrastructure is significantly less costly than constructing new dedicated links from the police department data center to the new facilities and that fiber installations typically have 20–30 year lifespans.
