1.1 HISTORY
After a telecommunications feasibility study was conducted by the City in 1996 to determine the benefits for the community, a complete 144-fiber backbone ring was installed . Since then, in addition to the 18 mile ring, 25 miles of fiber extensions have been deployed to interconnect city offices. In addition Longmont United Hospital and the St. Vrain Valley School District lease fiber. This accounts for only one-third of the fiber with two-thirds still available for lease.
1.2 WERE CITY TAX DOLLARS USED TO BUILD ANY OF THE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE FIBER OPTIC NETWORK INFASTRUCTURE?
No. Platte River Power Authority, the electricity provider for Longmont, Ft Collins, Loveland and Estes Park paid for the installation of the 144 fiber ring and then transferred ownership of 132 fibers to the City. Platte River retained ownership of 12 fibers to use for communications between substations and the member cities. During those years, Platte River had excess power which they sold and paid for this fiber from those excess profits.
1.3 WHEN DID THE CITY’S LEGAL RIGHTS TO PROVIDE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES GET TAKEN AWAY?
In 2005, just seven years after the community installed its fiber infrastructure, Senate Bill 152, was passed . It was backed by a few large telecommunications companies (Qwest) and eliminated the City’s right to provide telecommunications services to its citizens unless a specific ballot question is passed by voters reinstating that right.
1.4 HOW HAS SENATE BILL 152 AFFECTED THE CITY, ITS CITIZENS AND ITS BUSINESSES?
It severely curtails efforts by the City to improve the community’s connectivity either through the provision of direct services or through the establishment of formal business partnerships with the private sector.
1.5 HOW DO TELECOM SERVICES TIE INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND HOW IS THIS IMPORTANT TO THOSE LIVING AND WORKING IN LONGMONT?
52% of our residents are in a Hi-Tech business. It is critical to our job base to have access to high speed broadband to ensure our economic survival and quality of life. Businesses today consider this access a high priority when deciding where to locate their facilities, making broadband access an imperative component of the ability to compete for employers. The entire education system has shifted to technology and Internet services to teach and for research. The St. Vrain Valley School District strongly identified a need to use onIine services to educate its students.
1.6 DOES THIS MEAN THAT LONGMONT WILL START ITS OWN BROADBAND UTILITY?
No, This merely removes the obstacle of SB152 and gives the rights back to something Longmont already owns. Any significant project resulting from the reestablishment of these rights would be subject to City Council approval, and its merits would be considered in an open and public process.
1.7 DOES LONGMONT HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE IN PROVIDING SERVICES TO ITS CITIZENS?
For the past 100 years, Longmont Power and Communications has provided services. Longmont’s municipal electric utility has proven to be one of the lowest priced and most reliable providers both in the State and nationwide. (Excel electric rates are 35% higher)
