Miramar OKs $576,000 Comcast fiber backbone renewal to support parks Wi‑Fi and public safety

The Miramar City Commission on April 2 approved a one‑year renewal with Comcast Business Communications LLC to provide fiber backbone services for the city, authorizing up to $576,000 for the fiscal year.

City IT officials said the renewal will support increased bandwidth, the real‑time crime center, and expansion of Wi‑Fi to parks through fiscal 2027. Jerry Logan, Miramar network manager, told commissioners the city has increased bandwidth from 1 gigabit to 10 gigabit at key sites and is adding park Wi‑Fi and CCTV capacity. "This infrastructure supports critical operations, including voice, data, CCTV, Wi‑Fi, internet and cloud‑based services," Logan said.

The contract renewal is being processed under a previous five‑year agreement that included options for five additional one‑year renewals. City staff said existing funding for the service — listed in FY2025 communication services accounts — covers the estimated $576,000 cost. Commissioners asked technical and budget questions about the upgrade and the extent of new infrastructure; Logan said the contract covers the service and increased bandwidth, while new physical infrastructure for sites such as parks or the real‑time crime center would be funded through separate CIP projects.

Commissioner questions focused on where the fiber terminates, current park coverage and improvements for problem areas such as the Town Hall garage. Logan said fiber runs underground between city sites and that some public safety and civic sites will be upgraded to 10 gigabit circuits; city hall already has a redundant 10‑gigabit circuit. He estimated residents should see improvements at problem spots within a few months after site surveys and heat‑mapping.

The commission voted unanimously to approve the renewal. The record shows commissioners Chambers, Sherazard, Colburn, Edwards and Mayor Messam voting yes.