Cortez (CO) Council moves forward with broadband pilot

The Cortez (CO) City Council voted unanimously to approve the fees and costs for a broadband pilot program. Through the program, dubbed the Cortez Community Network Pilot, the city will install in-home wireless devices called GigaCenters, and provide fiber to connect some residents with the city’s existing network. Installation will cost $150, and participants in the pilot will pay $60 per month, plus a $10 rental fee for the device, to get internet speeds of up to 100 Mbps. The program is designed to test whether the city can become a long-term internet service provider. Depending on how the program goes, the General Services department might end up building a citywide network. The city already has a fiber network in several areas of town, including some residential areas. According to the resolution that the council approved, the CCN pilot will charge $150 for city staff to install up to 250 feet of additional fiber to connect homes with that network, but residents will be responsible for digging the ditches through which the fiber can run.