A broadband project to be completed in 2026 will bring high-speed internet to Gary, addressing a longstanding disparity between the city and its neighbors.
The vast majority of the broadband infrastructure in Gary currently consists of copper wire, which does not allow for the higher speeds that fiber optic cables can provide. Data from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration compiled by the city shows that across the city’s 12 census tracts, between a quarter and half of residents are not subscribed to broadband service, with sees lower rates of access in the city’s most disadvantaged areas.
The COVID-19 pandemic, which required students to attend classes via video conferencing, threw the city’s frail digital infrastructure into stark relief as Gary students struggled to stay connected during classes.
“You couldn’t hear, you couldn’t see,” Gary Chief Innovation Officer Lloyd Keith told the Post-Tribune. “You got to have the bandwidth.”
The pandemic prompted Gary Mayor Jerome Prince to make bringing broadband to the city a priority. The American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill passed by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden in March of 2021, provided the opportunity to pursue a solution. Gary received just over $80 million in ARPA funds, $5 million of which will be going towards the broadband project, Keith said.
“This is a once in a lifetime thing,” he added.
In April of 2022, the City of Gary began a search for company capable of meeting its broadband needs. From a list of eight proposals, the city eventually selected the Kansas-based WANRack to undertake the project.
A slideshow that Keith presented to the Gary Common Council on April 4 noted that WANRack “is a well-established company in the broadband space backed by strong references. Being in a strong financial position also minimizes supply chain risk for this project.”
The first phase of the project will be the construction of a fiber ring looping around the city — Keith likened it to a major highway system like Germany’s Autobahn.
“You need that first. You can’t get nothing done without it,” he said. “And we’re looking for that to happen by the end of 2024.”
After the fiber ring will come the construction of “last mile” infrastructure by the Vermont-based Lit Communities, which has partnered with WANRack. It will link all of Gary’s residences and businesses to the fiber optic network, like on-ramps linking communities to a highway, with Lit Communities footing the more than $50 million bill.
Lit Communities’ service will include a low-income package; the company will provide Gary residents with upload and download speeds of 100 megabits per second for $30 per month, allowing enrollees in the federal Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides eligible households with $30 towards their monthly internet costs, to have their service completely covered.
The company has pledged to take a “digital equity & inclusion approach” to its business in Gary, hiring locally and providing philanthropic support to local organizations.
Other perks of Gary’s WANRack deal include five years of managed internet service for the city at no additional cost and free Wi-Fi service in six of the city’s parks, one per city council district.
