News

ARTICLE
Date ArticleType
7/3/2018 Member News

City of Hillsboro to adopt equitable broadband infrastructure plan

After working with the Home Builders Association (HBA), the City of Hillsboro has agreed to reimburse builders and developers for the creation of its communication utility infrastructure. Earlier this year, the city established a public communications utility with the goal of digitally connecting the city’s infrastructure and providing its citizens with a broadband internet public utility.

As a result, a code amendment added communications infrastructure to the same standard for that of water, sewer and power. This required that builders and developers lay the conduit network for future fiber optic cable, and then hand that infrastructure over to the city. The HBA testified to the Planning Commission and City Council, questioning whether it was a fair and equitable policy to require builders and developers to subsidize the city’s broadband internet provider aspirations and build out a network that they would potentially be in competition with.

The city met with the HBA to address this issue and has agreed to reimburse the builders and developers for the materials and labor costs incurred when creating the network of conduits for their fiber optic cable.

Estimates for a per-home cost of this conduit and trench digging ranged from $800 to $1400, depending on the homes frontage and the backfill materials required. Any increase to the cost of home is of concern as it is a direct impact to housing affordability. The HBA commends the city for adopting a reimbursement system for the network of conduits.