Ethiopian Review

The City of St. Paul and Ramsey County are jointly pursuing a $20 million to $25 million federal stimulus grant to help pay for a new high-speed fiber optic network.

The city and county issued a request for proposals Friday seeking a private partner who would work with them to complete the plan and manage and design the network, according to a city press release.

“Our current network is no longer suitable for the amount of business we do,” said St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman. The new network would serve city, county and library facilities and provide an option for linking to other networks.

Comcast Corp. provides the city’s current network through its cable franchise agreement that expires in 2013. Ramsey County leases the majority of the cable, fiber and telephone lines it uses. If awarded a grant the city and county could begin installing the network in 2010.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) includes $4.7 billion for broadband initiatives around the country through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

- by Sam Black | Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal