Nixa moves forward with fiber feasibility study

Last edited 2:31 p.m., July 28, 2014

Nixa city leaders have approved a contract with network developer SiFi Networks to assist with a feasibility study to gauge demand for high-speed, fiber-based Internet services.

The partnership with the London, England-based fiber network developer was approved by Nixa leaders earlier this month. SiFi set up a six-week residential broadband survey to determine demand for fiber services at SiFiNetworks.com/Nixa.

The survey is designed to determine current services residents pay for and how likely they would be to spend the cash on faster Internet at roughly 1 gigabit per second. A gigabit is roughly 100 times faster than the average broadband service.

“High-speed Internet access is fast becoming a key element in growing communities," Nixa Mayor Brian Steele said in a news release. "Such a system will bring new businesses, increase property values for residents, lower costs for these services and provide the type of connectivity that our schools demand."

Nixa leaders are looking to create an open-access fiber network enabling any Internet service providers to serve residents at fiber speeds.

Initial estimates place a $28 million price tag on building the fiber infrastructure in Nixa needed to connect to businesses and residents, according to Springfield Business Journal archives. SiFi Networks has offered to fund and build the network, but the terms of that offer were not disclosed in the release.[[In-content Ad]]