Mainstream proposes fiber backhaul to five proposed tower sites; offers draft contract to Blackford County

Mainstream, a private broadband firm, told the Blackford County Board of Commissioners that it responded to the county’s request for proposals and is proposing fiber backhaul to five potential tower locations in the county.

"We’re prepared to provide that fiber backhaul to those 5, tower locations," Mainstream representative Mike Wilson said, describing the work as currently at a high‑level design stage. He said the backhaul would be core fiber with 10‑gig capability and that the connection from tower to customer — the so‑called last mile — would vary depending on which provider ultimately serves end users.

Wilson said the company has a draft contract and can begin lower‑level engineering after the county and Mainstream resolve contract language. "I think we could get this turned around by the next meeting for sure," he said. He added that federal BEAD funding timelines could be affected by ongoing federal developments; that uncertainty could affect the schedule for any countywide program that leverages BEAD resources.

County staff asked for a copy of Mainstream’s presentation and indicated the draft contract would be shared with the county attorney for review. Wilson said his team has worked on similar projects in nearby municipalities and expressed interest in a countywide approach that links the five towers with other planned fiber deployments.

Next steps: Mainstream will provide the draft contract to county staff and continue engineering work; the company and the county attorney will discuss contract terms, and staff will return to the commission with more detailed site and scope information at a future meeting.