Carson awards $26.9 million contract for citywide municipal fiber backbone

The Carson City Council unanimously approved a construction contract with HP Communications Inc. to build phase 1 of a citywide municipal fiber-optic backbone, a project staff said will connect city hall, the city yards, and 12 city parks and improve free park Wi‑Fi, public‑safety camera capacity and network resilience for major events.

Project scope and cost

City staff described the phase 1 scope as installation of up to 120,000 linear feet of fiber and associated conduits and pull boxes using a mix of horizontal directional drilling and open trench methods. Phase 1 will run along Avalon Boulevard and several streets to connect city facilities and the following parks: Anderson, Calais, Carriage Crest, Carson, Del Amo, Dolphin, Dominguez, Foisia, Mills, Memorial Park, Hemingway, Stevenson and Veterans Park. The recommended contract value is not to exceed $26,919,708.50; staff estimated a 12‑month completion schedule from notice to proceed.

Benefits and phasing

Director of IT Gary Carter and staff said phase 1 will primarily benefit city operations, free Wi‑Fi at parks, public‑safety camera capacity, and the city’s capability to live‑stream and support traffic expected around large events such as the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. Carter said residential and business retail service to individual homes was anticipated in later phases — the project team expects to operate the backbone before initiating storefront or home connections, which staff said would come in subsequent phases depending on funding.

Procurement and vendor

Staff reported the city issued a CIP request and received responsive bids; HP Communications was presented as a qualified contractor with prior experience on municipal and Caltrans projects and work for major carriers. HP Communications’ executive vice president, Ahmad Alami, addressed the council after the vote and described the company’s history and capacity to perform the work.

Council discussion and vote

Council members thanked staff and IT leadership for advancing the project. Several members emphasized closing the digital divide and preparing infrastructure for major events. Councilman Jim Dear, Councilman Cedric Hicks and Mayor Pro Tem Juwan Hilton spoke in support. The council voted unanimously to award the contract and authorized the mayor to execute the agreement after review by the city attorney.

Implementation and follow-up

Staff said the contract award covers backbone construction only; later phases or service activation to residences and businesses will require additional funding and separate actions. The city indicated it has an outstanding grant application to the California Public Utilities Commission’s Federal Funding Account (estimated $8.19 million outstanding at time of presentation) and will pursue state/federal grant opportunities to fund customer-facing build-out.

Speakers

- Gary Carter, Director of Information Technology, City of Carson (government / presenter) - Ahmad Alami, Executive Vice President, HP Communications (business / contractor) - Jamila Haji, Senior IT Project Support Analyst (staff) - Council members: Lula Davis-Holmes (Mayor), Juwan Hilton (Mayor Pro Tem), Cedric Hicks, Jim Dear

Authorities

- CIP Project No. 1797 — Citywide municipal fiber optic network (referenced by staff presentation and staff report)

Actions

- kind: contract_award identifiers: {agenda_item_id: "17", contract_number: "not specified", project_slug: "citywide_fiber_phase1"} motion: "Award construction contract to HP Communications Inc. for Project No. 1797, citywide municipal fiber optic network — Phase 1, not to exceed $26,919,708.50, and authorize the mayor to execute the contract following city attorney approval" mover: "Council Member (not specified in transcript)" second: "not specified" tally: {yes: 5, no: 0, abstain: 0} outcome: "approved" notes: "Contract covers backbone construction; later phases for resident service will be considered separately and depend on additional funding."

Clarifying details

- Project budget: not to exceed $26,919,708.50 for phase 1 construction (as presented by staff). - Completion estimate: 12 months from notice to proceed (staff estimate). - Phase 1 deliverables: backbone connecting city hall, city yards and 12 parks; up to 2 54-fiber vaults and up to 120,000 linear feet of cable. - Residential service: staff said service to homes and businesses would occur in later phases depending on funding; phase 1 focuses on city facilities and parks.

Proper names

[{"name":"HP Communications Inc.","type":"business"},{"name":"Gary Carter","type":"person"},{"name":"Jamila Haji","type":"person"},{"name":"California Public Utilities Commission","type":"agency"}]

Provenance

[{"block_id":"block_6055","local_start":0,"local_end":200,"evidence_excerpt":"Item number 17 is to consider an award of a construction contract to HP Communications Incorporated for project number 1797, citywide municipal fiber optic network utility undergrounding and excavation construction phase 1.","reason_code":"topicintro"},{"block_id":"block_6923","local_start":0,"local_end":200,"evidence_excerpt":"The vote is unanimous, madam mayor. Motion carries. Thank you. Congratulations, Gary.","reason_code":"topicfinish"}]

Searchable_tags

["fiber","broadband","infrastructure","Carson","HP Communications","CIP_1797"]

salience:{"overall":0.88,"overall_justification":"Large capital contract, citywide infrastructure, unanimous council approval and direct operational benefits for public Wi‑Fi and public‑safety systems.","impact_scope":"local","impact_scope_justification":"Backbone covers city facilities and 12 parks; downstream impacts on digital equity and event capacity.