Council to Consider Broadband Agreements for Community Network
Published on November 16, 2024
The Los Alamos County Council will review and vote on two key Broadband agreements during their regular meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. The agreements will support the design, construction, and operation of the Community Broadband Network (CBN) for Los Alamos County, a major step toward improving broadband infrastructure and connectivity for residents and businesses.
The meeting will be held in person at the Municipal Building Council Chambers (1000 Central Ave., Los Alamos), with a remote option available via Zoom for those wishing to attend virtually.
This has been a two-year effort, conducted by Broadband Manager Jerry Smith, to meet the Council strategic priority to provide community broadband as a basic essential service that will enable reliable high-speed internet services throughout the County at competitive pricing.
Broadband Network Design/Build Agreement
The first agreement under consideration is the Design/Build Agreement, which outlines the plans to design and construct a County-owned open-access fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband network. The fiber network will provide high-speed internet access directly to homes and businesses across the County, with the ability to scale in the future as demand grows.
Broadband Operations Agreement
The second agreement is the Operations Agreement, which will govern the ongoing operation of the County-owned FTTP network. Under this agreement, the network will be managed by the awarded vendor, who will not provide internet services directly but will instead facilitate relationships with multiple Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Subscribers will have the freedom to choose from a range of ISPs offering service over the open access network.
The total budget for the design and construction of the broadband network is not to exceed $35 million. The presentation to Council will include an overview of the project timeline, estimated costs for subscribers, and other important project milestones.
Find out more about the CBN project in the published agenda packet and use the eComment tool to leave public comments from the convenience of your home before noon on the day of the meeting. For more information on the County Council, visit the County Council web page or call the County Manager's office at 505.663.1750.