Fiber internet activity explodes in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) has stockpiled giant reels and other materials at a storage area near Highway 24 and the Hancock Expressway. The reels contain about 130 miles of bright orange plastic tubing that will be buried when CSU begins to build its new citywide fiber network in mid-September. The 3-inch conduit will eventually contain hundreds of tiny fibers that are capable of delivering data at a gigabyte per second or more. Brian Wortinger, manager of CSU’s Fiber Optic and Telecom Enterprise, says the new fiber network will allow the utility provider to better identify the source of power outages, as well as new capabilities like remotely cutting off the gas to a home threatened by fire. However, the biggest benefit is providing a more secure way to control the different systems that the CSU monitors and manages. The $600 million network will be built over a 6-year period and eventually connect around 200,000 addresses. CSU's fiber network will create a "dark fiber" network where the unused capacity on the fiber network can be leased to various broadband providers and connect thousands of Colorado Springs homes and businesses.