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Kanosh council weighs cutting Frontier service, centralizing Internet for town facilities and fire department
Summary
Council members debated whether to cancel Frontier phone/Internet service, consolidate Internet with Centricom/Centricom-like providers, and whether the town should cover Internet costs for the firehouse. Staff was asked to get firm pricing and connectivity proposals.
Council members discussed the town’s recurring Frontier phone and Internet charges and whether to switch to a local provider, Centricom, for faster service and lower monthly cost.
Fire department leadership questioned the value of maintaining a dedicated landline at the firehouse given limited staffing and the cost (discussed as roughly $200 per month for combined services). The department asked whether a cellular or voice-over-IP solution would suffice in routine operations and whether the town would consider paying some or all of the Internet costs if Centricom could provide a shared connection for the amphitheater, shop and firehouse on a single bill.
Council members noted that Centricom had offered better upload/download pricing examples (50 Mbps for about $40/month was discussed for other customers), and told staff to obtain written pricing for service to the warehouse, amphitheater, shop and fire department. Council members also raised reliability concerns (landline vs. cell vs. VoIP during outages) and asked staff to list contingency options (radios, sheriff coordination) in any recommendation.
No formal action was taken; staff were directed to obtain detailed proposals and pricing that include whether Fuller (a previously discussed partner) or other tower arrangements could provide free or reduced-cost service, and to report back at a future meeting.
