and the capital of Willmar have to put a notice in the hands of Charter Communications, requesting that the city delay construction of an open-access broadband network.
Willmar’s capital of Willmar has Charter Communications, which offers internet and cable television service under the name Spectrum.
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The Willmar City Council will meet evening, February 10th, in a previously scheduled work program designed to provide an update on the open-access wifi network. The work program, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday at the Willmar Fire Hall, will likely include the text from Charter Communications, which was dated February 7.
In a letter to Mayor Doug Reese and all members of the City Council, Charter Communications stated in return for putting the state’s project on hold that it would pay no money for the area to construct fiber-optic lines in Willmar’s Industrial Park.
” As a show of good faith, Spectrum will immediately begin the process of network architecture, permitting and any other necessary planning that will allow us to begin building as quickly as wind conditions permit, following the Council’s determination”, the letter stated.
The email comes two years after and the capital of Willmar began to actively plan for the construction of a city-owned, open-access wifi network known as the Connect Willmar Initiative.
In 2022, the city issued a demand for proposals for the installation of a fiber-optic system in the city, stating especially that it should cover the Willmar Industrial Park.
A wifi selection committee was established to review the proposals and decide what would be most beneficial for Willmar residents after receiving only three proposals, none of which came from Charter Communications.
The committee on broadband recommended Hometown Fiber’s plan to offer asymmetric speeds to each Willmar address.
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The state’s plans include installing and owning the network’s facilities, managing the network, and charging internet service providers to use the infrastructure to offer their customers with online service.
The costs are expected to cover the loan on the bonds that the city will use to spend for the network’s design. The objective is to create a business with better prices and services for consumers.
When Willmar City Council members discussed the Connect Willmar Initiative in May of 2024, David Larson, director of state government matters, was asked if Charter would be upgrading the industrial area.
Larson speculated that might be a part of an “offline talk” about Charter’s involvement in that kind of project.
Larson is one of the co-signers of the text. The other is Celeste Flynn, associate vice president of state politics for Charter Communications.
The more than 20 Scale employees who call Willmar apartment share your desire to make sure that every family and business in this area has access to quick, dependable high-speed internet, according to Charter Communications ‘ letter from February 7. ” That’s why we currently offer 1 Gigabit ( Gbps ) internet speeds to homes and businesses throughout Willmar”.
The email states that this is a solution that will bring complete accessibility to the area, houses, and firms without” saddling citizens with needless loan and the likelihood of higher taxes.”
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The business park’s construction will complement our continuous network evolution project, which will provide Willmar residents and families with symmetrical and multi-gigabit speeds.
The email states that Charter Communications does not need the city’s financial aid to finish its job there, but that Hometown Fiber’s plan will depend on taxpayer funds for debt service, funding operations, and ongoing maintenance and upgrades.