By Will Morat, Senior Manager, Consulting (Communications) and Tim Scott, VP Business Development (Communications), ENTRUST Solutions Group
In the 18th century, naval power determined economic dominance. The 19th century belonged to the railroads, and the 20th century was defined by the interstate highway system. In the 21st century, commerce, communication, and innovation are all powered by a new kind of infrastructure: fiber optics.
For public entities—cities, counties, and utilities—the mandate has always been to own, operate, and maintain critical infrastructure for the public good. This includes everything from roads and bridges to water systems and electrical grids. These are massive capital investments, often totaling hundreds of millions of dollars in public assets. However, many organizations are failing to realize the full value of these investments by overlooking their potential to support 21st-century communications.
This is a missed opportunity of significant proportions. If your municipality isn’t leveraging its existing infrastructure to deploy a robust fiber network, you are leaving value on the table and falling behind in an increasingly digital world.
The Untapped Potential of Existing Public Assets
Public entities are sitting on a goldmine of assets that can be repurposed to support modern communication networks. Consider the thousands of streetlights distributed throughout a city. Their primary function is illumination, but their true potential lies in what else they can do. These poles are ideal for deploying antennas, small cells for improved cellular coverage, and smart lighting systems that enhance public safety and reduce energy consumption.
Imagine a 911 call instantly triggering brighter LED lighting in the surrounding area, or a network of sensors monitoring air and water quality in real-time. These “smart infrastructure” applications are not futuristic concepts; they are achievable realities, but they require a robust fiber optic backbone to function.
The same principle applies to other public works. When a city repaves a road or replaces a sidewalk without installing conduit for fiber optic cable, it’s a monumental waste. The cost to go back and add this infrastructure later is exponentially higher. By integrating fiber deployment into routine maintenance and construction projects—a “dig once” policy—municipalities can build out their network backbone cost-effectively.
From Cost Center to Revenue Generator: The Dual-Purpose Network
Many electric utilities have already deployed fiber networks to control their grids, enabling instantaneous adjustments required for managing modern energy demands, like integrating solar power. However, once that network is in place, why limit its use? That same fiber infrastructure can be used to offer high-speed broadband services to the community. By selling internet service to existing electricity customers, a utility can:
Similarly, cities with foundational fiber networks connecting traffic signals or municipal buildings are often underutilizing this powerful asset. That network connecting City Hall to the police department passes thousands of potential residential and business customers. Opening this existing infrastructure to a public-private partnership (P3) can dramatically lower the barrier to entry for a new service provider, injecting competition into a market often dominated by a duopoly. When a city can tell a potential partner it already has a $20 million fiber asset in the ground, the entire financial equation for a city-wide broadband project changes.
The Case for a Strategic Partner: Navigating the Path Forward
The journey from concept to a fully operational, community-wide fiber network is complex. It requires strategic vision, technical expertise, and long-term planning—capabilities that many municipalities may not have in-house. This is where the role of an Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) or a long-term strategic partner becomes critical.
Unlike a traditional Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) model where a contractor builds a project and walks away, a strategic partner is involved from beginning to end. This holistic approach includes:
Feasibility and Planning
Identifying and inventorying existing assets, including overlooked infrastructure like old fire alarm conduits, to create a data-driven business case.
Strategic Design
Developing a high-level and low-level network design that is purpose-built to be efficient, scalable, and aligned with the community’s long-term goals.
Funding and Procurement
Navigating complex federal and state grant opportunities and managing the procurement process to ensure the best value for components and construction.
Construction Oversight
Quarterbacking the construction process to ensure the project is completed on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards.
Operational Strategy
Developing a plan to leverage the network once it’s built, whether through a P3, direct service provision, or enabling smart infrastructure applications.
This end-to-end partnership ensures that a fiber project is not just another short-term infrastructure task but a foundational investment in the community’s future.
Success Stories: From Vision to Reality
Across the United States, forward-thinking cities are already reaping the benefits of this approach. In the Los Angeles region, the Gateway Cities Council of Governments is overseeing a $100 million project across 24 cities. This network will initially connect 4,000 residents who currently lack high-speed internet and will eventually provide a competitive third option to over 175,000 people. Waterloo, Iowa, has taken a comprehensive, start-to-finish approach and is now preparing to provide service not just to government facilities but to every resident and business in the community. San Luis Obispo, California, leveraged its existing backbone and a public-private partnership to expand its network and bring enhanced services to the city.
These examples prove that with the right strategy and partnership, municipalities can break the telecom duopoly, foster economic development, and provide a higher quality of life for their citizens.
Building the Future, Today
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to a digital-first world, highlighting the critical need for universal access to high-speed internet for remote work, online learning, and telehealth. In response, significant federal and state funding has become available, creating an unprecedented opportunity for public entities.
The time to act is now. By viewing infrastructure through a new lens—one of multi-purpose utility and long-term value—and engaging with partners who can guide the entire process, municipalities can build the smart infrastructure that will power their communities for decades to come. This isn’t just about faster internet; it’s about taking control of your community’s economic destiny.
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