Mayor Chris Beutler recently announced that the City has entered into a lease agreement with NebraskaLink, a broadband service provider based in Lincoln, to extend its fiber optic infrastructure to the City. NebraskaLink will use the fiber optic conduit grid recently installed in downtown Lincoln, which is a part of the newly expanded downtown Lincoln Technology Improvement District (LTID) that now includes all City-owned conduit throughout the community. This agreement will not only provide Lincoln with fast, affordable and reliable broadband connections, but the conduit system will also provide a new revenue stream for the City as providers lease space.
The installation of the downtown conduit was funded with $700,000 from the City’s Fast Forward Fund. Mayor Beutler established the Fast Forward Fund in 2009 to assist with infrastructure improvements that help drive economic development and job creation. The installation of the downtown fiber conduit was timed to coincide with the major downtown street rehabilitation project. The conduit project was supported by the Downtown Lincoln Association and the Lincoln Chamber of Commerce.
For more information on NebraskaLink, you can visit their website at nebraskalink.com.