Sci Fi Networks says Kenosha fiber construction nearly complete; restoration, ISP access remain under discussion

Sci Fi Networks representatives told the Kenosha Public Works Committee on Aug. 11 that most heavy construction for the citywide fiber build is complete in the downtown area and crews are now focused on restoration and final fiber “blowing” to bring services live.

"I'm Zibeta Furlough with Sci Fi Networks. I'm the journey manager here," Sci Fi representative Zibeta Furlough told the committee, introducing a general‑contractor counterpart identified only as Paul, who reviewed a color-coded map of construction zones and progress. Furlough said the map shows completed areas in green, zones where fiber is being blown in pink, and active boring/trenching in blue and purple.

The presentation given to Chairperson Jack Rose and committee members said the company has largely finished work east of Green Bay Road, is actively building toward I‑94 on the west side and is “blowing in about 30 to 40,000 feet a day,” a figure Paul said the contractor is achieving in current operations. "We're blowing in about 30 to 40,000 feet a day," Paul said.

Why it matters: the project will place underground fiber in multiple neighborhoods and enable third‑party internet service providers (ISPs) to attach at data centers rather than building redundant construction in the right‑of‑way, potentially lowering barriers for competitor ISPs to offer residential service.

Key details from the committee discussion

- Restoration and schedule: Sci Fi said green areas on its map are construction‑complete but not all restoration work is finished; the company said it has added four additional restoration crews and estimated roughly "three to four weeks" to substantially complete restoration in the checked green zone, subject to complaint follow‑up and site‑by‑site fixes. Furlough said the company will respond to citizen complaints and run crews through zones to address missed restoration.

- Completion target: The presenters said they expect to complete work across the remaining pink and blue zones by September, but emphasized that the date is an objective rather than a guaranteed deadline.

- Residential installation and maintenance: Committee members asked whether Sci Fi or the ISP will connect individual homes. Furlough said Sci Fi crews will perform the in‑home cut‑in and installation and restore private property following the install. Sci Fi also said install and maintenance (I&M) will be handled from the company’s local office and that it currently has a 10‑year contract for I&M services.

- Depth and private utilities: When asked about trench depth, Sci Fi said residential lateral trenching is generally about 1 foot deep. The company warned that underground sprinkler lines are difficult to locate before excavation and said crews carry replacement sprinkler parts on site; "we stock heads. We stock the PVC," Paul said, adding the crews will repair sprinkler systems if they are damaged during installation.

- ISPs and exclusivity: The committee asked how many residential ISPs will be available when service goes live. Furlough said at least one provider (T‑Mobile) is currently active on the network and two others are "in the pipe," meaning contract negotiations are ongoing. She characterized T‑Mobile's arrangement as a short exclusivity period and said she would confirm the duration. When pressed, one committee member recalled hearing the exclusive period could be "one and a half to two" years; Furlough said she would confirm and provide details.

- Permitting and easements: City staff clarified that public rights‑of‑way work is permitted by the city, while work within private easements (for example, in backyards) is outside city jurisdiction; contractors must obtain easement permission from property owners or homeowners associations for work the city does not permit. A city staffer told the committee Sci Fi has obtained easements when it has worked on private property.

What the committee directed or decided

- No formal action or vote was taken on the presentation. The committee accepted the update and several members asked staff to follow up and request further details in writing on exclusivity duration and the planned ISP list. Sci Fi representatives were thanked and invited to provide confidential maps to the public works department for reference.

Details and clarifications from the meeting (as stated on the record)

- Restoration crews added: 4 additional crews (company statement). - Restoration timeline in some green zones: approximately 3–4 weeks to substantially complete restoration, subject to complaint follow‑up (company estimate). - Fiber blow rate reported: "about 30 to 40,000 feet a day" (contractor quote). - Residential trench depth for laterals: about 1 foot (company statement). - Install and maintenance: handled locally by Sci Fi; presenter said there is a 10‑year contract for I&M (company statement). - ISP availability: T‑Mobile currently active; two additional residential ISPs reported as in negotiation (company statement). Duration of T‑Mobile exclusivity: not finalized; company to confirm. - Permits vs easements: City permits cover public right‑of‑way only; private easements require separate permission from property owners or HOAs (city staff clarification).

Speakers (as identified in the meeting)

- Jack Rose — Chairperson, Public Works Committee (City of Kenosha) - Dominic Ruffalo — Vice chairperson, Public Works Committee (City of Kenosha) - Brandy Faree — Alderperson, Common Council (City of Kenosha) - Penny Keeling — Alderperson, Common Council (City of Kenosha) - Anthony Kennedy — Alderperson, Common Council (City of Kenosha) - Bill Seal — Alderperson, Common Council (City of Kenosha) - Zibeta Furlough — Journey Manager, Sci Fi Networks (presenter) - Paul — General‑contractor representative (presenter; last name not provided in transcript)

Proper names referenced

Sci Fi Networks; T‑Mobile; AT&T; Frontier; Kenosha Public Works; Kenosha Common Council; I&M (install & maintenance).

Clarifying details (structured)

- {"category":"restoration_crews_added","detail":"Added four additional restoration crews","value":4,"units":"crews","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Zibeta Furlough/Paul"} - {"category":"restoration_timeline","detail":"Time to substantially complete restoration in green zones","value":"3 to 4","units":"weeks","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Zibeta Furlough"} - {"category":"fiber_blow_rate","detail":"Reported fiber blow rate","value":30000,"units":"feet/day","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Paul"} - {"category":"residential_trench_depth","detail":"Typical lateral trench depth to house","value":1,"units":"foot","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Zibeta Furlough"} - {"category":"I_and_M_contract","detail":"Install and maintenance contract term asserted by presenter","value":10,"units":"years","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Zibeta Furlough"}

Community relevance

- Geographies: Downtown Kenosha; areas east of Green Bay Road; build toward I‑94; Sixteenth and Seventeenth districts; West Side neighborhoods. - Impact groups: Residential property owners, homeowners associations, residents seeking broadband options.

Meeting context

- Engagement level: multiple committee members asked questions; presentation and Q&A lasted approximately 20–25 minutes. - Implementation risk: medium — depends on private‑property easements, ISP negotiations, and any unresolved restoration complaints. - History: project is an ongoing citywide build; committee and staff receive periodic construction and restoration updates.

Searchable tags: ["broadband","fiber","Sci Fi Networks","Kenosha","restoration","T‑Mobile","ISPs","right‑of‑way"]

Provenance (transcript excerpts supporting this article)

- {"block_id":"seg_33.38","local_start":0,"local_end":85,"evidence_excerpt":"At this time, I'd like to bring up, representatives from, sci fi. If you please come up, introduce yourselves, and, we're going to get a update on sci fi.","tc_start":"00:33.38","reason_code":"topicintro"} - {"block_id":"seg_1288.175","local_start":0,"local_end":43,"evidence_excerpt":"The members of would you guys wanna leave or do you wanna stay? You're welcome to depart.","tc_start":"21:28.175","reason_code":"topicfinish"}