Page last updated on June 22, 2022 at 3:10 pm
Each week, Mayor Hamilton and Deputy Mayor Griffin provide video updates on recent happenings and upcoming initiatives.
TRANSCRIPT
John Hamilton:
Hello, I'm Mayor John Hamilton.
Don Griffin:
And I'm Don Griffin, Deputy Mayor. And today, we have some very exciting news to talk about in regards to the internet.
John Hamilton:
Yes, we do, Don. This is a big day for Bloomington transformative. We're announcing today that a private infrastructure company Meridiam is going to be investing $50 million to build out citywide, open access, high-speed internet system to serve the whole city of Bloomington.
Don Griffin:
Okay. So I guess citizens want to know what does this mean for them?
John Hamilton:
That's a lot of words. Yes, I know. But it means we will have, across our whole city, a fiber network to the premise, to each resident that will provide gigabit-speed service. This is a transformative level of service, and it covers our whole city. That's a big deal for us. We've been working for a long time for it, and we're very pleased to be announcing that with Meridiam today.
Don Griffin:
Okay. So that's awesome news for those of us who like to binge-watch or try to get done with a project that we have for school. Though, even competitive local rates could be out of the question for some residents. Mayor, how do we address that?
John Hamilton:
So a couple of things that are really important. One, we do want to make sure this system covers our whole city. We've had problems with cherry-picking before where a certain neighborhood might get good internet service, but others get left behind. So this is providing citywide coverage, that's really important. But as you said, even a market rate that covers a whole city can leave some households behind. You might have kids at school, but you're a low-income household, and you can't afford that kind of internet coverage, or you might be a senior on a fixed income, and your home healthcare service isn't as available as it should be.
John Hamilton:
So we have a really important digital equity program that is trying to make sure digital access is fair and open to people. We're working with Meridiam to make it a $30 a month service for 250 megabit speed. That's really fast service, and it's a really good price. But I also want to thank the Biden Administration because they have a $30 a month subsidy program for low income that would essentially make it a free internet service. So that's really powerful for kids in school, seniors who need that help, or other households that face those kinds of barriers.
Don Griffin:
This is transformative.
John Hamilton:
It is.
Don Griffin:
In this agreement with Meridiam, is it different than any, say, other broadband services that we already have?
John Hamilton:
It's different in a few ways, really important ways. One, they're committed to net neutrality. That's the concept that everybody gets to provide services through the internet in a fair way. It's also, as we describe it, an open-access network. And that's like the difference between public roads that everybody can use and private roads. Right now, most of our internet service is on a private road. They run a line right to your house, whatever kind of cable or whatever it is. This will be open access after a few years of an introductory service provider. Open access means any service provider can give you access at your home; that open access assures competition and continuous innovation in the years to come.
Don Griffin:
So I'm sure folks are wondering, how soon? How soon is this going to happen?
John Hamilton:
Very soon, we hope. There's some work to do with the city council, what'll be coming up in the months ahead. And the plan is to begin construction by Meridiam even this year, the fourth quarter this year. Probably a two to three-year build-out. We're going to move as fast as we can, helping get this available to everybody. But I want to celebrate today. This is a very important day for Bloomington, and we're pleased to be partnering with Meridiam for this action.
Don Griffin:
Okay. There's a lot more details in the press release we posted today, and you can check it out online or at the City of Bloomington's website.
Related News Releases
Meridiam and City of Bloomington Announce Plans for $50 Million City-Wide, Fiber-to-the-Home Network–Click here.
Bloomington Fiber Initiative and Meridiam Frequently Asked Questions–Click here.