The City of Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission (“Commission”) has selected Rohl Networks, headquartered in Jupiter Florida, to install the backbone of its municipal fiber network. Negotiations will commence to finalize a formal contract before the Commission’s March 11 meeting. Rohl was recommended from four competing bids received by the Commission on January 8.
“We’re looking forward to being the first city in our region to offer municipal dark fiber, which will make us more competitive in attracting new businesses and jobs,” said Mayor Jon Costas. The City hopes to see the fiber project begin later this spring with a target of completion by the end of 2016.
“This is a culmination of over 20 months of due diligence by the City to identify this need and how best to respond,” said Patrick Lyp, Valparaiso Economic Development Director. “This has been a collaborative effort with several local businesses and technology companies to ensure the Valparaiso municipal fiber project will meet the needs of current and future businesses. In addition to providing local companies access to dark fiber, many will now have the ability to secure redundant fiber connectivity – a necessity for hospitals, colleges, and high-tech manufacturing companies that are reliant on fiber,” said Lyp.
The fiber backbone will loop the city and provide direct access to Chicago. The primary areas of focus will include commercial corridors along Rt. 49 and Rt. 30, as well as the North Calumet Avenue area.
“This project will further distinguish Valparaiso as a place that can accommodate the specific needs of innovative and technology-based companies,” said Lyp. “In December, Valparaiso was awarded Google’s eCity designation, in part, because of the expertise of its local businesses to maximize the value of the Internet. There is a tremendous amount of e-commerce conducted by our local entrepreneurs. The Valparaiso municipal fiber project is another tool to support their efforts,” he said.
For more information about the project, contact Patrick Lyp at plyp@valpo.us.
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