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Hudson details fiber-to-the-home contracting plan and installation sequencing
Summary
City staff presented multiple resolutions to authorize bidding and contracts for aerial and underground fiber installation, customer-premise equipment and customer laterals, describing technical choices (use existing poles where possible) and a new sequencing approach to connect signed-up homes sooner; costs cited include contracts not to exceed $500,000 and $1,000,000 lines and an $18M overall program.
City staff presented a multi-part plan and associated resolutions to advance the fiber-to-the-home (Velocity) project, including separate authorizations for aerial fiber work, underground conduit, contractor pools for in-home installations, and laterals from the right of way to houses.
Staff explained the aerial contract (labor and equipment) is for work using existing poles when feasible and the underground contract would follow existing conduit or place new conduit where necessary. "In the majority of cases we would be using existing poles," an engineer said. The resolutions include per-item not-to-exceed authorizations ($500,000 for aerial work; $1,000,000 for underground installs) and contracts to hire multiple firms for customer-premise equipment and laterals to maintain flexibility and capacity.
Staff described a change in sequencing for lateral installation: once street conduit and fiber are complete and deemed acceptable in front of a home, crews will bring a lateral straight to that house and connect signed-up customers faster than the standard industry practice of waiting for all street work to finish. "What that will allow us to do is essentially move this component of construction further into or overlay it with the larger construction project," the project manager said.
Council sought operational details, including winter impacts and expected installation rates; staff said winter slows but does not stop work and said they expect surges of 60—80 installs in busy weeks. Staff committed to provide pilot take-rate and install data to council in the monthly reports.
Next steps: council authorized staff to advertise for bids and return with contractor selections and contracts; staff will continue to provide monthly pilot and progress reports.
