A project that will see the design and construction of a first-of-its-kind fiber optic network has won the approval of the Breckinridge Town Council.
Members of that council have voted in favor of appropriating up to $8 million for the work, which upon completion will enhance local high-speed internet service, as well as cellular coverage, among other things.
The initial phased project is expected to launch next spring, with the first phase work expected to be complete by the late summer of 2019.
According to a market assessment study put together by the Foresite Group, an engineering, planning, and design firm with offices in Broomfield, the network as constructed will be “appropriate-sized to support possible future uses, such as assisting wireless infrastructure for improved cellular coverage, and other potential smart city applications.”
The network will be owned by the Town of Breckinridge.
In Colorado, cities and towns are allowed to build their own broadband networks, but only if they voluntarily opt out of state legislation restricting such ownership.
Last year, 19 cities across the state voted to opt out of that legislation. The voters of Breckinridge did so in 2016.
By Garry Boulard
