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Council receives report on private proposals for citywide fiber; staff says one group would offer city access at no cost
Summary
City CIO Michael Hamill briefed the council on private providers’ interest in building an open-access citywide fiber network. One group proposed connecting about 400 city assets and offering the city fiber at no cost while building a broader retail network; staff referred the item to the Public Service committee for further review.
City Chief Information Officer Michael Hamill told the Worcester City Council that roughly half a dozen providers have contacted the city about building broadband infrastructure, and that one proposal—led by a group including Current Energy Capital—has presented an ambitious plan to build an open-access fiber-to-the-premises network covering the city and to connect approximately 400 city assets (traffic intersections, buildings, wastewater and other facilities) at no cost to the city.
Staff described the proposal as an “open access” model—privately built and operated but available to multiple retail providers—similar to a European approach and to successful U.S. projects in a few cities. Hamill said the design partner on the proposal has experience on large municipal networks and that the proponent considered phased cluster builds across five areas of the city that, combined, would reach most residents. The vendor cited a larger build cost (roughly $200 million in presentation materials) and proposed micro- or narrow trenching that would be about 1.5 inches wide and 16 inches deep to reduce surface disruption.
Why it matters: the council and staff said competition could improve speeds, lower consumer prices and expand digital equity. Councilors also flagged permitting challenges and the need to align municipal street and trenching specifications with new construction methods.
Council direction: councilors asked staff to pursue more information, including maps, contractual terms, and potential digital equity commitments. The council referred the item and related requests for information to the Public Service and Transportation committee (Public Service) for further review; staff noted the provider had expressed interest in offering digital equity commitments and in working with local digital equity stakeholders.
Next steps: staff will return with detail on proposals, maps, trenching specifications, and potential municipal policy changes to facilitate responsible deployment. Several councilors urged expedited committee review to preserve the opportunity for a private build that includes city connectivity and digital equity features.
