The Boulder City Council on Thursday, Nov. 21, unanimously voted to authorize the city manager to enter into a 20-year contract with ALLO Communications LLC, a Nebraska-based telecommunications company, to use the city’s fiber backbone infrastructure to provide broadband internet to Boulder’s residents and businesses.
The agreement marks a significant milestone in a nearly decade-long effort to bring high-speed internet to the city and closes the door on earlier interest in establishing a city-owned internet utility for the foreseeable future.
Under the proposed contract, ALLO will make broadband service available to 80% of Boulder residents by 2028 and 97% by 2030, with discounts offered to income-qualified customers.
Earlier this year, Boulder completed its approximately $20 million, 60-plus-mile fiber backbone, according to city officials. ALLO will lease a portion of this infrastructure to deliver high-speed internet, provide an upfront payment of $1.5 million, and share a portion of its revenue with the city. The remaining fiber backbone will be used to support city services, such as managing traffic signals. ALLO will also be responsible for maintaining and repairing the city’s entire fiber network and will hold exclusive rights to the leased portion for the duration of the 20-year agreement.
The deal is expected to increase competition among internet providers in Boulder, where residents currently have limited options, primarily Comcast (Xfinity) and Lumen (CenturyLink). The additional competition could help lower costs and improve service.
“I’m very excited to vote in favor of this and start what hopefully will be a decades-long partnership to finally realize the goal of at least municipally-partnered broadband that I think is going to provide an enormous benefit to our residents for years to come,” Mayor Aaron Brockett said during a council meeting last week.
We could own it and benefit like Longmont did.
Could have had city owned Broadband, but you’ll had to reject the muni because it “cost” to much. Boulder could have reduced internet prices and reduced electric and gas costs too.