Fiber project opens with public meeting tonight

A pilot project to test the feasibility of a new Idaho Falls Power residential fiber program begins with a public meeting tonight at 6 p.m. at Taylorview Junior High School.

Residents in select neighborhoods have already received a letter from Idaho Falls Power (IFP) and the Idaho Falls Fiber Network with an invitation to attend. However, the meeting is open to all residents to provide more information about the project, construction process, and other details.

A Utah-based telecommunications company called “Utopia” is partnering with IFP on the design of the fiber network.

“Essentially, Idaho Falls Power already manages a large infrastructure that provides fiber to numerous local businesses, government and schools,” said Bear Prairie, General Manager of Idaho Falls Power and Idaho Falls Fiber. “What (the) resolution does…is formally direct us to prove the feasibility of expanding our network throughout the city.”

As part of the pilot project, Prairie said the network will provide IFP connectivity with electric customers. That will allow for better power monitoring and customer service while delivering previously unavailable fiber access to customers who want to use the additional bandwidth.

The service is expected to provide data speeds up to one gigabit.

Because Idaho Falls Power already has fiber backbone it can run new lines through existing power infrastructure. In that way, the utility can build the residential fiber network at a fraction of the cost other companies might face.

It will be delivered to neighborhoods in three different ways including conduit lines, direct bury lines, and overhead transmission lines.

Construction is expected to begin in early November and continue through the spring of 2019. The first customer service could begin as early as December, depending on the weather and planning schedules.

You can see the neighborhoods to be served in the pilot program and the type of service to be provided here.