In 2003, Winter Haven formed a Technology Services Department and hired an IT director. The information technology function was previously handled by the Data Processing unit under the Finance Department. With a seat at the executive table, the IT Director created the City’s Information Technology Plan to serve as a roadmap for technology investment. The first strategy was to create a solid computing infrastructure, which included high-speed fiber optic connectivity.

Without a municipal electric utility, the City did not have the resources, knowledge or experience to build a fiber optic network. The Technology Services Department adopted an incremental approach to fiber optic construction, known as “dig once,” inspired by similar efforts and circumstances by the City of Santa Monica, CA. Fiber optic conduit was put in place in coordination with other capital projects, such as trail and utility projects, substantially reducing the cost of constructing the fiber network.

The first dig once project was the 2004 revitalization and beautification of the City’s downtown area. Underground fiber optic conduit was installed underneath brick pavers, connecting City facilities to a major fiber point-of-presence, or hub, in a data center in downtown Winter Haven. For 15 years thereafter, the city installed fiber conduit incrementally as part of:

• Utility water line extensions
• Water line evacuations
• Sewer line replacements
• Recreation trail projects
• A pedestrian bridge project
• Transportation and road projects.

Slowly, steadily, and with great persistence, the city built its all-underground fiber optic conduit network one project at a time. The large capital expenditures and political risk associated with fiber enterprises were mitigated by installing fiber conduit over an extended period.

In 2012, the City participated in the Broadband Polk Initiative, a countywide collaborative effort led by Polk Vision and the Central Florida Regional Planning Council (CFRPC) involving Polk County citizens, business leaders, civic organizations, nonprofits, educational institutions, economic development professionals and high tech experts to create the Broadband Polk Plan. The plan’s objective was to facilitate increased opportunity, innovation and efficiency by ensuring that every individual, corporation, nonprofit, visitor, government entity and community partner in Polk County has access to affordable high-speed internet service. The Broadband Polk effort helped bring community awareness to the importance of broadband and its impact on education, governmental services, public safety, economic development and quality of life.

In a 2015 study, the Brookings Institute ranked the Winter Haven-Lakeland Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) seventh from the bottom for broadband adoption. At the time, Winter Haven had used its fiber optic network for internal purposes and to connect City facilities. The Technology Services department began to explore the feasibility of making the fiber strands available to the community.

In 2014, the City hired Magellan Advisors to perform a broadband study to examine organizational and community needs, business opportunities and models, and the financial feasibility of a broadband enterprise. Magellan identified the major opportunity for the City to adopt an open-access dark fiber community broadband business model.

The open-access dark fiber model would open the City’s fiber network for telecommunication service providers to service clients. This change allows providers to use dark fiber, or unused excess City fiber optic strands, to reach new customers without expending capital for infrastructure improvements. The City would collect revenue from service providers offering services on the City’s fiber network.

On December 28, 2015, the Winter Haven City Commission unanimously approved a dark fiber lease agreement with a local service provider to lease excess City-owned fiber optic strands. The City began its dark fiber enterprise and leased strands for $1,050 per month, point-to-point, for each strand.

Local public and private organizations can receive secure, all-underground, super-high-speed data communications, starting at 10 Gigabits with the capability of higher speeds, at affordable rates. By 2018, the City had 10 service orders for dark fiber to connect the local state college, four medical clinics, a law office, a charter school, a banking facility and a technology provider.

In December 2017, the City Commission unanimously approved the extension of a dark fiber lease agreement with the local service provider. In January 2018, the City Commission approved funding for approximately 30 more miles of fiber conduit as part of a joint trench project with the Florida Department of Transportation.

The City continues to smartly invest to expand its fiber footprint. The City signed a fiber conduit swap agreement with an ISP to swap 40 miles of fiber conduit, allowing both parties to extend fiber footprints without direct capital outlay.

To see a full report from the Florida League of Cities on broadband infrastructure, click here.