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Municipal Fiber Networks

Local Leadership in Connectivity

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  • The organization has many of the disparate parts of constructing a fiber network, but no understanding as to where and how to start making one a reality.
  • There is community/political pressure to address the digital divide through community-controlled solutions.
  • Municipal fiber networks could mean anything from an internal fiber network to a comprehensive broadband solution.Where and how might such a network fit into your overall strategy?

Our Advice

Critical Insight

  • In order to design and build a “fit for purpose” solution, the purpose must first be defined.
  • An operating model bridges vision/strategy and execution.A minimum viable product high-level operating model for a municipal fiber network must at least define the deployment model to be used and structure of governance.
  • Municipal fiber networks will not be built completely from scratch or without use of existing assets.Each municipality will bring a different mix of assets to the table in these projects. Understand yours.

Impact and Result

  • Create a common understanding of what is to be built, for whom, and why.
  • Define what services will be offered and how they will be governed.
  • Understand which assets you already have that can jump-start the project.

Municipal Fiber Networks Research & Tools

1. Municipal Fiber Networks – A guide to understanding the reasons, models, and implications of municipally owned networks.

Before pursuing the build of a municipal fiber or broadband network, you need to ensure that you have a clear understanding of what is to be built and how it will be run. With this foundational work, clear plans and success criteria can be defined.

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Municipal Fiber Networks

Local Leadership in Connectivity

Executive Summary

Your Challenge

  • The organization has many of the disparate parts of constructing a fiber network, but no understanding as to where and how to start making one a reality.
  • There is community/political pressure to address the digital divide through community-controlled solutions.
  • Municipal fiber networks could mean anything from an internal fiber network to a comprehensive broadband solution. Where and how might such a network fit into your overall strategy?

Common Obstacles

  • Building and maintaining a large-scale fiber network is not necessarily a core competency.
  • The money to deploy fiber with a “big bang” approach is not readily available.
  • The municipality doesn’t realize all the options that they have to participate in the traditionally telco-led, broader-connectivity landscape.

Info-Tech’s Approach

  • Understand your drivers and target market in order to build a network vision.
  • Define a high-level operating model for how a fiber network can be deployed and governed.
  • Understand your current assets and how they could be leveraged to aid in the initiative.
  • Map a path forward in achievable and realistic “work packages.”

Info-Tech Insight

Municipal fiber networks can be deployed in many ways to achieve many different goals. Ensure that you understand the drivers and target market for your deployment in order to build an appropriate end state.

What is a Municipal Fiber Network?

A municipal fiber network is a fiber network that is built out, owned, and/or operated by a municipality within its local region.

What purpose does it serve?

Municipal fiber networks can serve many different purposes depending on the needs of the community. Some common uses are as follows:
  • Connectivity among municipal buildings/office space.
  • Connectivity for important anchor institutions/agencies such as education or health care facilities.
  • Broadband internet access provided to the local community and businesses.
“When communities have a strong sense of what role fiber can play in the region’s development, they are better equipped to make sound decisions around network marketing, execution, and management.” (Source: OPInsight)

Why build one?

Challenges

  • Funding the build and operations of a fiber network can be costly. Funding through grants is generally a one-time lift in money and may leave financial gaps later.
  • Most municipalities are not structured or staffed to be internet service providers. (Sales, Marketing, Provisioning, Service Desk, etc.).

Benefits

  • When a municipality directs the building of a local fiber project, it can ensure that factors other than profitability can play a part in decisions as to where to deploy.
  • Municipalities are already experienced at funding and executing on large infrastructure projects (transit, roads, water, etc.). This experience can be translated to a fiber infrastructure build.

Why Do It?

There are many reasons that justify the value of building out a municipal fiber network. Potential areas of value are:
  • Addressing the digital divide
  • Better connectivity/control for municipal offices
  • Attracting business/economic benefit
“I think imaginative exercises can have a profound impact on the future – what you can imagine can sometimes turn into something you can figure out how to build.” (Vint Cerf)

Potential Project Triggers

Common reasons that may align with initiating a municipal fiber network project:

Grants
External money sources are currently available to initiate a broadband network build.

Large capital project initiating
A large portion of the cost of installing fiber is in opening and closing the ground. If this is already being done by a large infrastructure project like roads or water works, installing the fiber assets can be comparable to a rounding error.

Public demand
Frustration with the status quo in local broadband can cause the public to demand a municipal-led solution.

Long-term cost savings
Owning a municipal fiber network designed for internal use can potentially achieve cost savings over leasing the required connectivity.

Network Terminology

https://dj5l3kginpy6f.cloudfront.net/blueprints/mu...

Internet Exchange (IXP)
An Internet Exchange is a generally neutral common location where Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and other internet infrastructure companies exchange internet data.

Regional Point of Presence (PoP)
A Regional PoP is a location that a larger provider uses to aggregate data connections.

Backbone
A large connection used to connect core network components.

Middle Mile
The connection between the Last Mile and internet connectivity.

Last Mile
The connection from a local network to the end user’s location.

How do you approach creating a municipal fiber network?

Over 600 communities in the US are served by some form of municipal broadband

Community Network Map | community broadband networks (muninetworks.org)

Logo for .Logo for #iTRG.

CREATE A VISION

In order to design and build a “fit for purpose” solution, the purpose must first be defined.
  • What are the reasons for building municipal fiber?
  • Who are the intended end users?
  • What areas of a solution can be best addressed by the municipality?

DEFINE A HIGH-LEVEL OPERATING MODEL

An operating model bridges vision/strategy and execution. A minimum viable product high-level operating model for a municipal fiber network must at least define the deployment model to be used and structure of governance.

SERVICE MODELS
Defining the best approach to add value:
  • Passive
  • Wholesale
  • Fully integrated/Retail
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
Every network is different. How will you govern yours?
  • Is this a net new structure?
  • Who will be part of your governance structure?
  • What form will the governance take?

UNDERSTAND YOUR CURRENT STATE

Most municipal fiber networks will not be built completely from scratch. Each municipality will bring a different mix of assets to the table in these projects.
  • Relationships: Private partners/agencies
  • Assets: Technology/facilities based
  • Skills: In-house knowledge
A venn of 'Relationships' Assets' and 'Skills'.

MAP A PATH FORWARD

A municipal fiber network can be a daunting project. Without clear and achievable targets, momentum will be lost, and the project can fail.
  • Tactics: Ways to improve the chances of success
  • Financials: Funding/Sustainability
  • Milestones: Realistic work packages
KEY INSIGHTS
Trying to be “everything to everyone” will lead to cost over runs and project failure. Keep your targets and timelines realistic and achievable.Long-term sustainability and financial feasibility are often overlooked in the planning of municipal broadband networks. Grant funding can help build the network but is generally a front-end, one-time infusion of money.

VISION

You need to identify your endpoint before starting your journey.

Almost one third (28%) of respondents to the Project Managements Institute’s “Pulse of the Profession” survey highlight “Inadequate vision/goal for the project” as the primary reason for project failures. (Source: PMI)

DRIVERS

What problem(s) are we looking to address? Is there local context to the problem(s) that must be understood?

TARGET MARKET

Who are we looking to solve the problem(s) for? Where are they and how do we reach them?

APPROACHES

What areas of a network can a municipality participate in to address the challenges of the target market?

Define the Project Drivers

Drivers will outline the Why

When defining drivers, start with documenting areas like:
  • Use cases for the potential fiber network
  • Need(s)/want(s) that the network could address
  • Problems that the network would be solving

This can be approached with a team through brainstorming, or external to a team through surveys/interviews, etc.

This data can be further refined by utilizing methods such as Affinity Diagraming or explored by using methods such as the 5 Whys.

Info-Tech Insight

The drivers or the “Why” of a project is a key component in assuring alignment with municipal vision and direction as well as securing funding and/or grants.
Affinity Diagramming

An affinity diagram (also called the KJ Method) is an activity used to organize large amounts of data into meaningful categories based on themes or natural relationships while reducing social biases.

5 Whys

The 5 Whys explores cause and effect relationships by asking the question “Why” five times in order to discover the “root cause” of a problem.

Potential Drivers

Drivers for an Internal Network
  • More reliable connectivity
  • Better speed
  • Wider coverage
  • Controlling costs
  • Smart cities initiative
  • Security
  • Public good (City Wi-Fi)
Drivers for an External Network
  • Better access for digital healthcare (Telehealth)
  • Better access for digital education (distance learning)
  • Addressing the digital divide
  • Driving economic benefits (local business)
Stock image of a construction crew working on a sidewalk.
Municipal Fiber Networks preview picture

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Author

Scott Young

Contributors

  • Dolan Beckel, Chief of Staff for the City Manager, City of San Jose
  • Jerry Driessen, Executive Counselor, Info-Tech Research Group
  • Brent Messer, Executive Counselor, Info-Tech Research Group
  • Scott Magerfleisch, Executive Counselor, Info-Tech Research Group
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