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Medina County Fiber Network
The Gazette July 13, 2006
The Medina County Fiber Optic Ring: Setting us Apart
Submitted by: Jim Doutt, former Executive Director, Medina County Economic Development Corporation

Medina County is poised to make a difference. We are preparing to set our county apart from the competition in the global economy. Success in this economy is largely based upon how well connected you are to the world. Although that may sound simple, it is not. The project to create a fiber optic ring in Medina County is one that has been in development for quite some time. Over the past four years, a very methodical and deliberative approach has been taken to determine the need and to design the fiber optic ring along with the business model to operate it. Throughout this process a very conservative approach to the operation and cash flow of the fiber ring has been developed and we have gained the support of key customers, thereby enhancing the ring’s feasibility.

Several points regarding this project need to be made for the sake of clarity. First, the construction of the ring will be funded through the sale of non-tax revenue bonds. It will cost approximately $7.23 million. Medina County will guarantee the bonds, but the debt will be retired by the users of the ring. It will not result in any tax increases.

Another significant distinction is that this ring will not be a municipal broadband system. Comparisons to any such existing systems are simply not relevant. The operation of the ring will be administered by the Medina County Port Authority (MCPA) which will hire companies with the technical expertise to build and to operate the ring. While the Port Authority is indeed a public entity, by law the composition of the MCPA Board of Directors is made up entirely of individuals from the private sector. The Port Authority, in fact, will not be a provider of any services. MCPA’s role will be to offer access to the fiber ring and thereby create a competitive environment. By providing telecom, cable and internet providers with access to ring and the opportunity to provide their services and products, the advantages of competition will come into play and bring benefit back to customers in both the public and private sectors. Open competition is a major advantage that the fiber ring will enable. At the same time, local control is an element of the utility business that is missing. The business model that has been developed for the fiber ring will ensure that control of the system will stay right here in Medina County.

Broadband capacity is of central importance to the fiber ring project. With 96 strands of fiber, the ring will provide a very considerable increase over the fiber systems currently available in Medina County. No one is disputing the fact that the cable companies have installed fiber in the county. However, the capacity they offer is not even close to the level that the fiber ring will provide. The structure of the fiber project will also ensure that two thirds of the fiber capacity will be dedicated to public use. Our schools, libraries, hospitals, governments, safety forces and the Medina County University Center will be served by this fiber ring. And from the perspective of economic development, the fiber ring will also enable businesses in the county, big and small, to connect to the world in a way that does not exist now. The fiber ring will also serve to make Medina County more attractive to new businesses.

This important project can be summarized as follows: increased broadband capacity; open competition; and local control. The end result is that it will set us apart. In a truly global sense, Medina County will rank among the best-connected places.





 


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