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City is 'project ready' for broadband grants, HR Green tells Coachella council
Summary
A year‑long broadband master plan presented options from conduit‑only to full municipal networks, highlighted funding pathways (grants, Dig Once, public‑private models) and urged the city to align projects with state and federal grant windows; consultants discussed take‑rates, cost buckets and local constraints.
Irina Stevens, project manager for the broadband master plan, and HR Green consultants presented their findings to the council on March 25, summarizing market assessment, RFEI responses and five broad network/business models ranging from conduit provision to full municipal utilities.
"Broadband is core infrastructure," Stevens said, adding that much of provider investment depends on pending federal and state broadband grants and conduit availability. Consultants explained the difference between conduit‑only strategies, dark fiber leasing, public‑private partnerships and full municipal builds, and outlined funding options including state/federal grants and partnerships that can lower capital exposure.
HR Green staff walked the council through a strategy map of ownership and operation models and stressed common feasibility metrics: number of passings, construction cost, take rate assumptions (the consultants used a baseline take rate of roughly 35% for revenue modelling) and operation costs. They flagged Dig Once policies as a cost‑saving measure and said CV Sync excess conduit could reduce deployment costs.
Council members asked for clarification of a complex trade‑off chart and sought examples of municipal models and competition. Consultants cited Chattanooga as an example where municipal investment addressed market gaps and stressed that a feasibility analysis must show revenue and take‑rate assumptions for a municipal approach to be viable.
Staff will provide the final report to council and indicated next steps to pursue funding windows and to consider policy steps like conduit planning and local regulatory changes to support selected business models.
