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Fort Pierce, fl
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Lincoln Park and Smart City Initiatives in Fort Pierce with Jason Mittler - Episode 590 of the Community Broadband Bits Podcast
This week on the podcast, Christopher is joined by Jason Mittler, the manager of the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority Network. The FPUA Network is a fiber optic network in Fort Pierce, Florida. Jason details the FPUA and their multifaceted use of their fiber network, which not only provides Internet and utility services but also facilitates smart grid solutions and smart city services.
Chris and Jason also discuss updates regarding the Lincoln Park Smart Neighborhood, which is a collaborative project that aims to address low broadband adoption rates to a historic community in Fort Pierce. This would provide residents in Lincoln Park with the essential connectivity they need by offering 100 Mbps symmetrical service at $31 per month. The FPUA Network also provides additional services for those who required higher speeds.
The conversation concludes with Chris and Jason sharing valuable advice for those venturing into the ISP market. They emphasize the importance of collaboration with consultants, building partnerships with municipalities and organizations to learn from industry peers, and staying informed about the evolving landscape of Internet services.
This show is 29 minutes long and can be played on this page or using the podcast app of your choice with this feed.
Transcript below.
We want your feedback and suggestions for the show: please e-mail us or leave a comment below.
Listen to other episodes here or see other podcasts from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance here.
Thanks to Arne Huseby for the music. The song is Warm Duck Shuffle and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license.
Fort Pierce, Florida Making Progress On Utility-Backed Fiber Build
Fort Piece, Florida officials say the city continues to make steady progress with its plan to expand access to affordable fiber to all 45,000 Fort Pierce residents with the help of the city-owned utility. The network, inspired by similar utility-backed efforts in cities like Chattanooga, promises to deliver multi-gigabit speeds at prices notably lower than regional monopolies.
Since 1972, the Fort Pierce Utilities Authority (FPUA) has provided gas, electric, water, and natural gas services to city residents. Since the early 2000s, FPUA has deployed 110 miles of optical fiber via its FPUAnet Communications division. In 2018, the city, frustrated by limited broadband competition, decided to expand network access to the public.
“Our network is moving along well,” Jason Mittler, FPUAnet manager told ILSR. “We have passed about 1000 parcels and will pass another 1000 next year.”
The full deployment is expected to take somewhere between five to ten years to finish, and is funded by bonds held by FPUAnet. The network is utilizing GPON fiber technology capable of 2.5 Gigabits per second (Gbps) downstream and 1.25 Gbps upstream in some areas, and XGS-PON-based fiber capable of symmetrical 10 Gbps speeds in others.
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Mittler notes that the finished product should result in both last-mile speeds and pricing that regional telecom monopolies, predominantly AT&T and Comcast, are both unable and unwilling to offer. Especially on the upstream side of the equation.
Mittler says the plan remains to provide all locals with access to symmetrical 100 Mbps for $49 a month; symmetrical 200 Mbps for $69 a month; symmetrical 200 Mbps service for $69 a month, symmetrical 500 Mbps for $79 per month; and symmetrical gigabit for $99 a month.