Ontario County, NY – The Ontario County Open Access Model
ECC technologies is the lead consultant on the development of a municipal based open access fiber ring in the Finger Lakes region, totaling more than 200 miles of open access fiber infrastructure. ECC conducted the necessary telecommunications / broadband studies to determine the current state of the telecommunications industry in the County. The study consisted of an inventory of the current telecommunications infrastructure, where fiber, coax, and copper plant were identified and documented. Additionally, the carriers and service providers operating in the County were catalogued, listing services offered and included central office and wireless tower locations. This information was placed into a GIS mapping system for planning and assessment purposes. Focus group meetings were conducted to determine the telecommunications needs of the different sectors of the population. Telecommunications service access information was collected on economic development sites in the County to assist in the process of attracting new business to the County. During this phase of our engagement with the customer, the fiber open access model was determined to be the most effective means to improve the telecommunications infrastructure in the County..
ECC’s roles included the development of the business plan, and support of the establishment of the not-for-profit local development corporation (LDC) used to govern the fiber infrastructure. We provided development of funding and operational components. ECC developed preliminary design and fiber route plans needed to achieve buy in and support of local elected officials. We secured regulatory authorizations from the New ork State Public Service Commission as well as right of way agreements with existing utilities.
ECC provided detailed design, engineering, construction management, and marketing for the $8 million fiber system. We developed, negotiated and secured user level contracts and service level agreements with carriers and other key users for access and use of the fiber. Today ECC provides the critical technical and marketing operations needed to sustain, grow, and operate this system as a carrier class network. This model is self sustaining and growing at a respectable rate. Major users are government, healthcare, carriers and service providers, educational institutions and businesses.
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