In the largest installation of its kind to date, more than 20 miles of fiber optic cabling will be installed in City of Milwaukee-owned conduits to link several businesses to a massive “token” ring.
The city council voted March 26 to lease the conduit space to Midwest Fiber Networks, LLC, an entity headed up by Cablecom, LLC, principal Donna Raffaelli. Midwest Fiber Networks was incorporated last August to manage and lease network resources in the city. Cablecom is a contractor specializing in inside- and outside-plant installation of cabling systems. Both firms are headquartered at 720 W. Virginia St.
The total installation, including a portion of the project outside of the city, will consist of about 35 miles of fiber, according to Raffaelli.
Raffaelli said a confidentiality agreement currently prevents her from identifying the businesses who opted in to the initial phase of the project.
According to City of Milwaukee Chief Information Officer Randy Gschwind, the hope is that a network would grow throughout the conduit system, increasing the availability and affordability of broadband connectivity in the city.
April 12, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee
