Technology Meeting Minutes 11.25.2019

By Otis Building InspectorTechnology Committee Minutes

Otis Technology Committee

Meeting  Minutes / Agenda

Otis Town Hall Conference Room

November 25, 2019

6:00 pm

In Attendance:  Frank Tolapko, Bill Hiller, Larry Gould

Public: David Rice

 

  1. Approval of Meeting Minutes.

 

  1. Broadband Updates.

 

    1. Phase 6 installations in process at this time.
    2. Installs being performed by 2 crews at this time for a estimate 6 installs  per day. In December there will be 4 crews performing installs to push the number to 12 per day.  These numbers are estimates and weather or difficult installation situations may change the time needed to complete the work.  Freezing conditions and conduit may prevent completing these installations until spring.
    3. Discussed the timing of installations and a finish date.  The mention of a March 2020 finish date has created concern for some residents who may be away after March and want to subscribe or cases where the weather conditions won’t allow installation until spring.  Frozen conduit or the need to install new conduit are examples.  Work will continue into the spring and customers that have signed up through this period will be installed as a part of the original program.  There are no plans to exclude customers at this time.
    4. There are 443 subscribed customers with 590 additional customers signed up for installation at this time.
    5. The  Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Caf-2 grant program applied for by Whip City Fiber in our behalf has been approved.  We have been awarded $690,000.00 over ten years to use for operating costs as we move forward.
    6. Otis Woodlands design is underway.  We have been told the design should be complete in mid December for the Woodlands to review. 
    7. Discussed looking at emergency service contracts for network wide service.  This is for crews to be available to re-install fiber, strand, etc, on poles throughout the network area. Sertex is available for this work while we are in construction. 

 

  1. Photo printer equipment discussion
    1. HP Envy Photo 7855 was received and used for the Rec Commission Gingerbread House event.

 

  1. Data transfer upgrade to Otis Fiber
    1. Broadband data use is increasing as customer number increases. We will increase the backhaul capability from 1 gigabit to, 2 Gigabits.  This will double the cost of backhaul at this time.  The plan is to make the increase in mid December.

 

  1. Old and New business.