This document discusses Dakota County's efforts to establish a commercial fiber optic network (C-Net) to promote economic development. A working committee would determine unused fiber assets that could be contributed to C-Net and how revenues would be distributed. Dakota County has also initiated projects to lease dark fiber and install new fiber to connect government locations. A subcommittee recommends investigating a public-private consortium to leverage excess public fiber optic assets throughout the county. The subcommittee would continue inventorying assets and reviewing fiber provision models to determine if a consortium is viable.

1. Dakota County C-Net
Anita Scott
Dakota County Information Technology
April 17, 2012
1

2. Broadband Principles Established Spring 2011
1. Collaboration for the development of fiber optic networks
– Process definition
– Cost sharing
– Maintenance costs
2. Development of a Commercial Network (C-Net) to promote
economic development
3. Installing conduit along county highway and parks projects
4. Wi-Max infrastructure development in conjunction with C-Net
2

3. C-Net Broadband Principle
• Development of a Commercial Network (C-Net) to promote economic development
in Dakota County
– Collaboration partners will form a working committee for the purpose of leveraging unused fiber
assets for private commercial use
– The committee would be tasked with:
• Determining the fiber assets (including conduit) available to contribute to the C-Net
• Determining the method of obtaining maximum value for the asset
• Formulating how revenues are to be distributed
• Determining partner contribution to the C-Net based on ownership of the fiber optic path used
in each C-Net project
– Partners would be recruited from existing collaborations within Dakota County
– Participating partners would inventory unused or under-utilized assets and
contribute capacity to be used for the C-Net
3

4. Dakota County Initiatives
• October 2011-Technology Information Education Services (TIES) representing
Dakota County Schools leased one pair of dark fiber from Apple Valley to Hastings.
• In progress: JPA with State Office of Enterprise Technology (OET) and City of
Hastings for a combination of existing City and County owned fiber and new fiber to
be installed to provide:
– Connections from the Government Center in Hastings to State locations in
Hastings (Hastings Armory, Veterans Home, MNDOT)
– Fiber connection from City Hall to the Hastings Community Center
– Fiber connection from the Government Center to two 800 MHz towers
– Fiber connection to handhole near Welch 800 MHz tower connecting to fiber
that will complete connections to Red Wing and other locations to the south
– Hiawatha Broadband will expand capacity within existing conduit
• – leverage county unused fiber assets
4

5. High Performance Partnerships (HiPP)
Dark Fiber Subcommittee
• Established May 2011
• Members:
– Co-Chairs: Mary Hamann-Roland (Apply Valley), Tom Hedges (Eagan)
– Sandra Krebsbach (Mendota Heights)
– Tom Garrison (Eagan)
– Anita Scott (Dakota County)
– Tammy Omdal (Burnsville)
– Julie May (Farmington)
– Kim Lindquist (Rosemount)
• Purpose:
– To determine if there is an economic benefit to make current, publicly-owned, dark fiber available
for private businesses.
5

6. HiPP Dark Fiber Subcommittee
• Vision:
– Dakota County will be the county of choice for broadband business opportunities supported by
public/private partnerships and fiber assets to encourage economic growth and job creation.
• Recommendation:
– Investigate whether a consortium of public entities in Dakota County is appropriate to leverage
excess and latent capacity of public fiber optic assets throughout Dakota County.
• Steps to establish a Consortium:
– Inventory existing public fiber assets*
– Determine what, if any, fiber assets are available and can be leased
– Review other communities approach to fiber provisioning*
– Determine if the value of leasing the fiber assets is sufficient to offset the cost
– Establish common Right-of-Way permitting process for deployment of private providers’ assets*
– Establish best management practices for the leasing of dark fiber
– Determine appropriate group to spearhead implementation of the recommendation
– Determine the purpose of consortium—Could be to facilitate leasing opportunities of public dark
fiber to private providers with a fast, efficient, and collaborative process.
6

7. HiPP Dark Fiber Subcommittee
• Next Steps:
– Dark Fiber Subcommittee will submit their recommendations and
questions to HiPP committee to determine:
• Should the Dark Fiber subcommittee group continue if a dark fiber
consortium is worthy of pursing?
• Does the dark fiber subcommittee become a work team that completes
tasks to get the consortium running?
• Is another group needed for this purpose?
– Dakota County will continue to work with partners on C-Net
opportunities while the consortium is being established
7