Fiber became a chicken-or-egg issue for Chanute commissioners Monday evening.
Commissioners voted to accept a proposal from an Oklahoma City engineering firm to design expansion of the city’s fiber optic broadband network into two neighborhoods. The quote from ACRS is $35,000-$45,000 to design and set specifications for residents near the 900 block of west 9th and the 400 block of south Westview, two neighborhoods whose residents have requested connection at previous commission meetings.
City Manager Jeff Cantrell said that this is not construction, but is the first phase of the possible project. He said he can’t estimate a model of potential rates without the study to determine cost, sort of a chicken-and-egg situation.
The costs involved will determine if the residents will still be interested.
“If these two neighborhoods can’t support it, I don’t know where else,” Mayor Sam Budreau said.
Three years ago, a study on expansion throughout the entire city would have cost $495,000 to $595,000, and at that time people used a figure of $40 a month as the potential rate for fiber to the home. Officials said Monday that rate is outdated.
(Read more: The Chanute Tribune – news,news/)