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Boulder approves Allo Communications cable franchise, council cites construction coordination and consumer choice
Summary
Boulder City Council adopted Ordinance 86‑88 granting a cable franchise to Allo Communications LLC and approved related franchise terms; council and staff discussed permitting, coordination with utilities and construction pacing to minimize public impacts.
The Boulder City Council voted unanimously on March 20 to adopt Ordinance 86‑88, granting a franchise to Allo Communications LLC to provide cable video services in Boulder under Chapter 6 of the Boulder Cable Code (BRC 19‑81).
Council members voted by roll call to approve the second reading and adoption. City staff told the council the franchise mirrors the city's existing agreement with the incumbent operator where federal law requires parity, and therefore does not allow the city to regulate rates or programming. The franchise grants Allo the right to use public rights-of-way to acquire, construct, install, maintain and operate facilities reasonably necessary to furnish cable video service within the franchise area.
City staff and the Allo team said implementation priorities include coordinating permitting, traffic-management and construction staging to reduce public impacts during buildout. Assistant City Attorney Andy Frower told council the city has established an internal core team meeting weekly with Allo to discuss public-safety and permitting coordination. Council members asked about regulatory or procedural roadblocks that might slow construction; staff said multidisciplinary teams across utilities, planning, legal and IT are already meeting and that permitting pace will be an important control point.
Allo founder and chief executive Brad Moline described Allo as a fiber-to-the-premises provider that has built networks in multiple states and said the company will deliver broadband, video and phone services. City staff noted that in January the city entered a 20‑year lease of the city’s Stark fiber backbone to Allo in exchange for Allo’s retail broadband commitments; Allo subsequently applied for the cable franchise on Feb. 18.
Ordinance 86‑88 passed by unanimous roll call (Wallach, Weiner, Adams, Benjamin, Mayor Brockett, Mayor Pro Tem Folkert, Marquis, Shuhart, Speer recorded yes). The motion to adopt was made by Council member Matt (transcript reference) and seconded; council members spoke in support of increasing consumer choice and moving forward with the public‑private partnership.
