Teton County gathers ISPs and state broadband office to debate conduit, reimbursement and ‘dig‑once’ options
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Summary
Commissioners heard a multi‑hour discussion with the Idaho Office of Broadband, SilverStar and FiberCom about whether the county should require conduit in new subdivisions, who bears installation cost, provider reimbursement practices, and how to write code that 'future‑proofs' neighborhoods for fiber.
TETON COUNTY, Idaho — County planning staff convened industry and state broadband officials Feb. 9 for a detailed discussion about telecommunications infrastructure requirements in subdivisions and what the land development code should require.
Participants included Ramon Haldi Sanchez, director of the Idaho Office of Broadband; Jason Nelson, area vice president for SilverStar; George Swanson, FiberCom operations director; and Barb Sessions, SilverStar president (on Zoom). The panel explored three practical questions: whether to require conduit or service pedestals in new subdivisions, whether developers or providers should pay to install conduit, and how to avoid burying infrastructure that never gets used.
Jason Nelson said SilverStar typically reimburses developers once customers connect, and that the company has partnered on federal support and private debt financing to scale fiber builds in the valley. "We reimburse those developers as people start building," Nelson said. He also described SilverStar as a regulated carrier of last resort that will provide service where conduit is in the ground. George Swanson and state broadband staff stressed that conduit alone does not guarantee service — providers must commit to extend transport to new subdivisions — and suggested the county require not only stubbed conduit but clarity about when service will be provided.
Board members and contractors asked technical questions about trenching and costs. Construction contractors noted conduit product cost can be low (product about $0.50/ft), but trenching and labor can make buildouts $5–$8 per foot or more and add distribution boxes and other equipment costs; contractors also reported cases where telecom routes differ from electrical trenches, increasing costs. SilverStar said reimbursement programs can cover up to 90% of a developer's speculative up‑front cost once customers sign up, and that the company has liabilities on the books to reimburse developers.
Commissioners asked staff to organize a follow‑up working session with providers and local developers to discuss detailed cost/reimbursement scenarios. Planning staff also flagged a ‘dig‑once’ state policy (applies to state highways) and asked whether a local version or stronger conduit requirement could be adopted.
What happens next: Planning staff will set up a technical workshop with providers and developers to develop potential ordinance language and reimbursement terms for Planning & Zoning review.