Commission approves nearly $957,000 fiber backbone contract to extend broadband to North Liberty and Walkerton
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Summary
St. Joseph County's redevelopment commission approved a $956,820 contract with Choice Lite to build a fiber spine through Walkerton and to the southern limits of Walkerton, leveraging Project Honeysuckle funds as part of a broader rural broadband expansion effort.
The Redevelopment Commission unanimously approved a $956,820 contract with Choice Lite to extend fiber from State Road 23 through Walkerton to the southern limits of the town.
Bill said the project will extend the county’s fiber backbone and open opportunities to connect rural areas to home-service providers that use the Choice Lite backbone, citing recent federal BEAD funding awards to regional providers. Staff said Project Honeysuckle pilot funds were used to seed earlier fiber projects and that $3 million in pilot funds supported prior spine-building work.
Commissioners approved the contract after staff confirmed available cash on hand to cover the project. Staff described this contract as one of several spine projects intended to increase the county’s ability to draw down federal broadband funds and expand service into underserved areas.
Next steps: construction and conduit work to proceed under the Choice Lite contract; staff will coordinate with BEAD awardees and local internet service providers to maximize household connectivity once the spine is in place.