People in Waukegan looking for a fiberoptic internet connection with a high-speed 7G connection accommodating multiple devices and simultaneous users, or someone who needs an introductory plan meeting their basic needs, will have a new opportunity to find it.
Tony Signporella, the director of government relations for Clearwave Fiber, said at a meeting of the City Council’s Public Works & Infrastructure Committee on June 15 that the company plans to build an underground fiberoptic network to accommodate 9,000 homes and 2,300 businesses.
Signporella said the network will help economic development for the city. It has options for people who are underserved, as well as businesses that want a high-speed plan because of their complex technological needs.
“We want to give the residents a choice for fast and reliable internet service,” Signporella said. “We are very competitive with our prices and our speeds. Our speeds are from 100 meg all the way up to seven gig, which is astronomically fast as you can imagine.”
The Waukegan City Council unanimously approved a master right-of-way agreement between the city and Clearwave Fiber on Monday at City Hall without debate, giving the company the right to create its fiberoptic network.
Already operating in Buffalo Grove, Rolling Meadows and a number of other municipalities in the Chicago area, Signporella said Waukegan is an ideal location for Clearwave. The size is appropriate, it has the right infrastructure foundation and advantages over cable, he said.
“We use only fiber,” Signporella said. “Cable companies use cable and sometimes wire. They don’t have the speed of fiber optics.”
Planning to start work during the last three months of this year, Chris Lively, a construction manager for Clearwave, said at the committee meeting he anticipates the company will complete the network within a year from the start of construction.
When construction starts, Lively said at the committee meeting, there will be a number of fiber distribution areas (FDAs) that accommodate approximately 400 homes. Lines will frequently be parallel to other lines running under the city.
“Public works knows where they are,” Lively said. “We want to make sure there are no issues, and if there are, we correct those, and we try to mimic what the previous communications system is doing. All of that is in one bundle.”
Ald. Keith Turner, 6th Ward, is already excited about the fastest possible internet connection in the city, yet he wants to make sure there is no expense to the city.
“Are you telling me we are going to get 7G to my house? I want it,” Turner said at the committee meeting. “You are paying? The city is not footing the bill for this thing?” he added, wanting assurance Clearwave, not the city, is paying for the entire cost.
Quick to say at the committee meeting that Clearwave is responsible for the entire cost of the project, Signorelli said there are no side agreements with the city. The agreement with the city contains no economic promises. The company’s responsibility is to the customers who will have the service.
“We have to build it, and build it right,” he said. “There is no capital put forth by the city of Waukegan whatsoever.”
As soon as an FDA is operational, Lively said the company will be able to connect customers. Prices range from $34.99 monthly for the most basic Fiber 100 service to the Seven G plan for $195, according to documents Clearview provided to the city.
Contracts are not required, and there is no limit to the data a person can receive, according to the documents. Installation is free and automatic price increases are not part of the plan, though there is no guarantee there will not be a hike.
Different speeds meet different needs. Signporella said Monday a family with several children all playing games on the internet at the same time while parents are working from home may benefit from faster service. A couple who needs a WIFI connection and streams their television shows may find the 250 mg connection for $50 a month is best.
