Eagle set to begin connecting city facilities, parks and first homes to broadband network in 2024

Eagle (ID) is ready to light up the first phase of its long-planned, federally-funded broadband network. Residents of the northern Ada County suburb will soon be able to take advantage of free Wi-Fi in city parks as work continues on a city-wide broadband network funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. So far, after roughly three years of planning, the city has spent $3.6 million of its $6.7 million of ARPA funds on this project and plans to continue building it out over the next five to ten years using money paid by customers as the fiber network grows. This is part of Eagle’s recent declaration of broadband as a public utility and former Mayor Jason Pierce’s push to get broadband service to the lower-density suburb where private companies are often slower to invest due to fewer residents. The project is based on a similar model for providing a city network of broadband in Ammon.