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Sawyer County discusses broadband strategy as board weighs $3–10 million estimates for fiber and towers
Summary
County officials reviewed vendor and provider cost estimates for fiber and tower projects — including a vendor estimate near $3.5 million for 112 miles of fiber and seven towers and local provider per‑mile ranges of $30,000–$100,000 — and debated owning infrastructure versus outsourcing operations.
Sawyer County officials spent a portion of the finance committee meeting examining options to expand broadband and cellular coverage, reviewing vendor estimates and discussing financing approaches.
The presenter summarized vendor input that a proposed project might include roughly 112 miles of fiber and seven towers; one vendor's budget number cited to the committee was about $3.5 million for a package the vendor described, but county staff and local providers warned that terrain and route complexity usually raise per-mile costs. Local providers told the committee fiber installation can range from about $30,000 per mile (straight line) to $100,000 per mile (rocky or complex routes); using a $50,000–$60,000 average, 112 miles could be on the order of $6 million or more, and adding tower construction drives costs higher.
Board members discussed whether the county should build and own towers, then outsource operations, or rely on private providers and federal funding programs. "I don't want to be in the cell business," one member said, adding that if the county builds towers it would likely need to hire a broker or contractor to manage leases to cellular carriers. Committee members also noted federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) and other grant opportunities could reduce county costs, and suggested revisiting the project in next year's budget or as a separate capital project if the board prioritizes it.
Why it matters: lack of reliable broadband can affect emergency response, public safety and economic development in rural areas. Committee members framed the discussion as an infrastructure priority but emphasized careful cost analysis and financing choices before committing county dollars.
Next steps: staff said they would continue to collect vendor and provider estimates, monitor BEAD and other funding opportunities and return with more detailed cost and financing options at a future meeting.
