Solving Municipal Broadband – City of Brooks (Part 2)

The City of Brooks wanted a flexible business model for its broadband service – one that would entice internet service providers (ISPs) to service their community.

So, it set out to create an open access network (OAN), which offers the following key benefits:

• City-Owned Network – the municipality will own and maintain a level of accountability for the network, but it will ensure its community’s needs come first.
• Open Market – multiple internet service providers (ISPs) will be able to service residents, creating an environment for value-driven solutions.
• Revenue Generating Opportunities – the organization’s foremost priority is providing service to its residents, but it should be able to sustainably operate its network.

The City then prepared a request for proposal (RFP) to engage the market. The RFP garnered responses that included both fibre-optic cable and wireless network solutions. Ultimately, they determined that a fibre-optic solution would work best for their community.

While Brooks was confident an open access network (OAN) would align with its broadband vision, it entered a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the selected proponent, which included an internet service provider, a construction contractor, an engineering firm, and a funding partner.

In partnership with the selected proponent, Brooks worked through various agreements ranging from co-ownership, service, construction, engineering, and access agreements.

Next week’s article will detail how the project will be financed. Please click here to read part 1, part 3 and part 4 of the series. For more information, please contact DanB [at] abmunis.ca (Dan Blackburn), Senior Director of Growth & Innovation.