Charles City gets look at proposed fiber broadband services prices

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Potential Charles City Fiber customers have their first look at a list of possible charges for internet, television and telephone services the proposed municipal broadband utility may offer to residents and businesses in the community.

The list of possible prices is included in a package of information that is part of two public hearings that will take place at a Charles City Telecommunications Utility Board of Trustees meeting beginning at 4 p.m. today (Tuesday).

“Preliminary communications rates are established as part of the business plan and financing documents,” the exhibit says. “Rates are subject to change as actual costs of delivering services are determined.”

The plan proposes these costs for residential internet service:

• $70 per month for up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) download and upload speed.
• $90 per month for up to 250 Mbps download and upload.
• $130 per month for 1000 Mbps (1 gigabit per second) download and upload.

It proposes these costs for residential TV service:

• $48 per month for local TV channels.
• $90 per month for local plus “basic plus” channels.
• $98 per month for local, “basic plus” and either “family plus” or “sports plus” channels.
• $106 per month for local, “basic plus,” “family plus” and “sports plus” channels.

The price list does not say which channels are included in each package.

Each package includes one set-top box. Additional boxes and various types of DVRs are available for additional monthly fees.

Premium channels — HBO, Cinemax, Starz/Encore, Showtime and NFL Red Zone are also proposed to be available for additional fees.

Residential telephone service is listed at $17.50 per month plus an additional 7 cents per minute for long-distance calls in the United States, or $25 per month for service with unlimited long distance calling in the U.S.

Commercial internet service is listed as:

• $80 per month for up to 100 Mbps download and upload.
• $110 per month for up to 250 Mbps download and upload.
• $200 per month for up to 1,000 Mbps (1 Gbps) download and upload.

Today’s utility board meeting, starting at 4 p.m., includes two public hearings where people will have an opportunity to offer comments or ask questions about the project and its proposed financing.

The meeting will be held in the City Council chambers at City Hall, but will also be a Zoom meeting. The Zoom meeting ID is 277 428 640 and the password is 073973. The meeting is also available to participate in by telephone by dialing 312-626-6799.

The public hearing on the funding is regarding the telecommunications board entering a loan agreement “to borrow money thereunder in a principal amount not to exceed $22,000,000 for the purpose of paying the cost, to that extent establishing, starting up, improving and equipping the utility.”

The public hearing notice says the loan “will not constitute a general obligation of the city, nor will it be payable in any manner by taxation, but … will be payable solely and only from the net revenues of the utility.”

The other public hearing next Tuesday will be to “consider the proposed plans, specifications, form of contract and estimate of cost for said project.”

The utilities board will listen to and consider any comments or objections to the plan or the cost that are made by “by any interested party.”