Why Fiber?

As the world continues to become more connected, access to the internet is becoming an essential utility. Hundreds of communities across the U.S. have chosen to offer this service to their community, each with a different model to fit the needs of the community. Fiber is often regarded as the best option among communication connections. Optical fiber uses light instead of electricity to carry a signal. It is unique because it can carry high bandwidth signals over long distances without degradation.

Fiber is far more reliable, easier to maintain, and has significant longevity. A fiber network is flexible and robust to handle future technology changes than any other current network. Key drivers for broadband utility success are making a positive impact in economic and community development, to increase competition in the marketplace that ideally lower customer pricing, and to have the fiber-optic network and business structure be community owned and benefited.

Fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) is the delivery of a communications signal over optical fiber from the operator’s switching equipment all the way to a home or business, thereby replacing existing copper infrastructure such as telephone wires and coaxial cable. Fiber-to-the-home is a relatively new and fast-growing growing method of providing vastly higher bandwidth to consumers, and thereby enabling more faster access to content, high-speed internet, and voice services.

Why Breckenridge?

Those who have lived in Town for any length of time are well aware of the internet and connectivity issues experienced in Breckenridge. During the peak season, businesses struggle to complete transactions, students have a difficult time submitting their homework, cell service is reduced, and simply streaming a movie can become difficult. You may think you're receiving a certain speed, but residents find that they're rarely reaching their promised internet speeds. With only a few options, residents struggle with customer service issues, long term contracts, and pricing options.

We believe that when more than one or two providers are available in a marketplace, there is a substantial positive impact to consumers regarding cost and quality of services provided. We are confident that building Fiber9600 and partnering with ALLO Communications will give residents and businesses of Breckenridge the opportunity to have competitive pricing, higher speeds, and great customer service. This is about stimulating competition in Town for our citizens, and providing access to an important utility. We see an opportunity to use Fiber9600 to better address the critical communication needs of the community. It’s an important need that for-profit companies have not stepped up to meet; if we don’t do it, it’s not going to get done.

Like roads and water, the Town's role is to create and support essential infrastructure for our community. We see internet service as one of these essentials. By owning the network, the Town of Breckenridge is investing in a way that better positions ourselves for the future, like previous land banking and procuring water rights. The infrastructure reinvests back into the Town of Breckenridge and allows us to control our internet destiny.

2021 Fiber Construction

2021 Plan: In order to determine the most economical areas for a 2021 build, staff has proposed creating a survey instrument to help determine community interest within specific residential areas and partnering with ALLO sales staff to assess business and MDU (multidwelling unit) interest. Additionally, staff is assessing the viability of alternate technologies that provide a lower cost option to fiber to the premise in more sparsely populated areas and will consider these options for 2021 and beyond.

2020 Fiber Construction

The proposed areas expand out from the backbone and distribution lines established during the 2019 build. They also represent areas with a high number of single family, residential premises and build out the business area in the core of town. Staff has focused on areas with the least expensive price per premise construction cost; ultimately the areas with the highest density.

This area includes:

• Main to High and Lincoln to Luisa

• Weisshorn (all or in part)

• Main to High and Lincoln to Jefferson

• Main/Hwy 9 to Sunbeam; Jefferson to Ice Rink/Boreas Pass.

Core of Town WiFi: Robust municipal Wi-Fi will not only provide for a convenient connection, it will also provide an alternative to using cellular data. The cellular network in Breckenridge suffers during busy times,and WiFi provides an opportunity for people to get off cellular thereby freeing up that network. The Town will endeavor to include the core of Town WiFi in the 2020 build.

2019 Fiber Construction

Above is the backbone fiber route that was laid during the 2019 construction season. This included the core of Town, Reiling and Wellington Roads, and the Wellington and Lincoln Park neighborhoods. In 2019:

• Engineering and Design functions were transitioned to ALLO Communications and completed in a tight timeline for construction.
• Peak Construction worked quickly during May and June to complete most of the core construction prior to the busy start of the summer season.
• Roadway construction is complete, and Peak is currently working on constructing customer drop connections before winter fully rolls in.
• ALLO has stopped selling for 2019 installations, and Peak will finish the remaining drops. Sales efforts will begin again in the spring.
• The Town of Breckenridge plans to “light” first customers in December.

During the off season staff will be:

• Consulting with ALLO on design and engineering for 2020 and beyond
• Executing a maintenance and repair contract for the network
• Engineering a robust Wi-Fi network for proposed 2020 installation.