North KC Says ‘Free’ Gigabit for All - MUNI Network
Here’s one that should stump opponents of municipal networks: A Missouri city is turning over operation of its fiber network to a local data center and plans to give away gigabit services to local residents after a one-time fee.
On September 2, the City Council of North Kansas City approved a 10-year agreement with DataShack for the operation and maintenance of the city’s fiber optic network, known as liNKCity. DataShack will operate and maintain the fiber network, but the city will continue to own the network.
Under the agreement, DataShack will collect revenue for broadband services sold to businesses. But as of January 1, 2015, it will provide existing and new residential broadband customers with gigabit service for an installation fee of $300 (or $100 for 100Mbit/s service, or $50 for 50Mbit/s service). Residents in the city of about 4,000 people won’t pay any more for service for the duration of the 10-year deal, according to Mellissa Hopkins, marketing and sales manager for liNKCity.