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Committee weighs county-built towers and fiber costs as broadband gap persists
Summary
Committee discussed options for county involvement in broadband: consultant estimates and vendor proposals put fiber costs in the tens of thousands per mile and full buildout with new towers in the low millions; members debated outsourcing operations versus county ownership to fill service gaps.
Sawyer County committee members debated whether to pursue county-backed broadband infrastructure, including constructing towers and funding fiber buildout, or to rely on private providers and grant processes.
A presenter summarized contractor-provided estimates for a proposed buildout: consultant numbers and vendor information suggested a range for fiber of roughly $30,000 to $100,000 per mile (with typical provider averages of $50,000–$60,000 per mile) and consultant budgets for a combined fiber-plus-tower build in multiple scenarios ranging from approximately $3.5 million to $10 million depending on miles of fiber and number of new towers. The committee discussed an option to elevate the levy temporarily in 2025 to fund tower construction, then reduce the levy in later years as debt expires.
Members discussed operational tradeoffs: county ownership would require outsourcing operation and leasing arrangements with cellular companies; building and maintaining towers is complex and may require a broker-type contractor to manage leasing with carriers. Some members argued the county should act to close public-safety gaps in coverage, while others urged caution about entering a business that requires technical operational capacity and ongoing maintenance responsibilities.
No formal decision was made at this meeting; the committee agreed to continue studying vendor proposals and federal/state BEAD funding applications as possible paths to support broadband expansion.
The committee noted that pursuing at least two county-built towers would be an initial step to improve coverage, but cost and operational model remain open questions for future agenda work.
