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Fresno Wants to Partner with Vendors to Build High-Speed Broadband Network

Fresno is interested in partnering with one or more telecom providers to build out a high-speed broadband network city that would bring gigabit speeds to homes and even speedier connections to businesses and big institutions. On Oct. 21 the city of Fresno released a "Request for Qualifications" (RFQ) to garner interest from telecommunication firms, incumbent service providers, nonprofits, public co-ops and other qualified respondents.

Fresno is interested in partnering with one or more telecom providers to build out a high-speed broadband network in the city that would bring gigabit speeds to homes and even speedier connections to businesses and big institutions.

On Oct. 21 the city of Fresno released a "Request for Qualifications" (RFQ) to garner interest from telecommunication firms, incumbent service providers, nonprofits, public co-ops and other qualified respondents.

“The City of Fresno recognizes the importance of 'future proofing' our community with affordable, ultrahigh speed tech infrastructure to support our entrepreneurs and residents," said Mayor Ashley Swearengin in a statement. “The ability to partner with major providers and ensure the delivery of next generation broadband access will not only make communication more convenient for everyone, it will make our city stronger.”

Businesses must submit a letter of interest by Nov. 14 to respond to the city’s RFQ; all RFQ responses are due by Nov. 30. The city say it's open to "creative approaches" to its construction, operation and maintenance, including open architecture and public-sector ownership, or using city-owned assets to install wireless antennas. Fresno encompasses a land area of more than 110 square miles, so the network would be expansive. The city has more than 29,000 streetlight poles, three communications towers, and 127 video surveillance camera poles.

Fresno envisions building a wireless and/or wired fiber network with gigabit-class broadband access that's affordable. Officials say the high-speed network would help close the digital divide for low-income residents (and offer services to them at a low cost), provide connectivity for government purposes, and create jobs in the tech sector. The mayor's office noted that Fresno is the fourth fastest tech-job creating city in California, with a 20 percent increase in tech jobs since 2011.

Fresno CIO Bryon Horn told The Fresno Bee last week that fiber-optic cables already have been put down under many of the city's streets, except in the southwest. One idea is to put antennas on city-owned streetlights and beam wireless broadband directly into neighborhoods, backed by a wired fiber network operating at between 10 and 100 gigabits per second.

Read more about the project and view the RFQ here.

Matt Williams was Managing Editor of Techwire from June 2014 through May 2017.